Anthony Joshua seemed like a broken man. He ditched his original trainer, Rob McCracken, several years ago following a few lackluster performances. Since then, Joshua has been looking for answers. He traveled stateside and began looking at his options. When it was all said and done, he settled on Robert Garcia. That relationship, however, was transient, evaporating after just one fight, a loss to Oleksandr Usyk.
Joshua was back on the search again. There was something about Derrick James that Joshua enjoyed. He was the no-nonsense type and drilled into Joshua the basics and fundamentals day after day.
Ultimately, Joshua (27-3, 24 KOs) picked up back-to-back wins over Jermaine Franklin and Robert Helenius but it isn’t always about wins and losses. Sometimes, it’s about the way you look in the process.
For whatever reason, Joshua looked unnerved and unsure of himself in there. Still, he admitted that he enjoyed working under the former Trainer of the Year and looked forward to working with him again. But, prior to jumping into the ring with Otto Wallin recently, Joshua revealed that he was making another change.
Ben Davison was chosen as the man to shout instructions from his corner. While they may have been together for just a single fight, Joshua looked like his old violent self, easily stopping Wallin in the fifth round.
Joshua and Davison may have gone from the dating phase to making things official as they’ll partner up again when Joshua takes on Francis Ngannou on March 8th.
When recently asked to explain why things between himself and Davison have gone smoothly, Joshua provided a succinct answer.
“The reason I was able to gel with Ben is because he doesn’t try to change your style,” Joshua told iFL TV.
Joshua isn’t the type to attack someone’s character. He keeps things bottled up and behind closed doors. He does, however, spend a ton of time reflecting.
The last handful of years were both a blur and bemusing. He doesn’t believe the trainers he had in the past were bad additions, but the constant need to tinker and play with his style made his head spin.
With Davison, it hasn’t been about the X’s and O’s but more so about perpetual reminders.
“I went to a stage where I was trying to change my style. A bit of back-foot boxing, box behind the jab, stick and move, not be explosive, control the pace. Stuff like that. But Ben was like, ‘that’s not your body type. You’re a f—— big unit. You’re explosive, go and knock f—— people out.”
