Anthony Joshua is making the right decision to have a warm-up fight before boxing Tyson Fury, says Ben Davison, who coached both fighters.
Joshua is scheduled to face Christian Prenga in Riyadh on July 25, before facing Fury later this year.
There are concerns that Joshua’s preliminary fight could be a further hurdle ahead of the all-British heavyweight mega-fight.
But Davison believes it’s the right decision. “Everyone knows about that accident and the crash. Of course he will come back from that accident injured,” the trainer told Sky Sports.
“Make sure he’s fit and ready before going into the fight. I think that makes sense. Tyson just finished his conditioning fight.”
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Davison noted that Joshua typically does not disclose his injuries.
“That’s always been the case with him. Sometimes situations happened, whether it was a game he won or a game he lost, but I don’t think he was willing to share the situation publicly,” he said.
“I think he’s always taken problems, dealt with them and worked quietly, and I think that’s something to be admired as well.”
Davison is in the unique position of working intensively with both Fury and Joshua and bringing them both to major fights. He’s not predicting who will win their fight.
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“Both players are capable of winning games once they reach a certain level. I think it’s all about how they approach the game, but I don’t know how both players will approach the game,” he said.
He noticed similarities between them.
“Essentially they’re both really good guys, but I think they’re polar opposites in the way they approach boxing showmanship. But, of course, these two guys in particular changed British boxing. They really changed the game, and that means something,” Davison said.
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Tyson Fury grabbed a microphone and loudly challenged him to fight Anthony Joshua next, but his rival didn’t give him a clear answer.
“At the same time, it comes at a price. They go through what they have to go through, they get through what they have to do, the pressure and all that. There’s definitely similarities there, but how they deal with it is different.
“Most people can’t even understand the pressure and everything else they’re under,” he added. “There’s a lot of pressure and a lot of expectations and a lot of people trusting you.
“It’s really tough. I can only praise both of them for what they’ve accomplished in this sport. I’m so grateful, lucky and blessed to have worked with both of them.”
