Anthony Joshua fights Francis Ngannou on Friday 8th March at Knockout Chaos in Saudi Arabia. AJ’s impressive performance against Wallin was aided by the work of Ben Davison – a trainer who’s worked with the likes of Tyson Fury, Devin Haney and Josh Taylor previously. Ben admits that he treats every fight the same, but with the strength and power of Joshua, he’s definitely felt a few shots more in this training camp than some others.
Watch Anthony Joshua v Francis Ngannou LIVE on DAZN
—
FAMILIAR FACE Why is Ben Davison training Anthony Joshua for Francis Ngannou fight?
ANTHONY JOSHUA will take on UFC legend Francis Ngannou in Saudi Arabia on Friday night.
AJ goes in to the fight on the back off a huge win over Otto Wallin in December.
The British heavyweight is aiming to win his fourth fight on the spin as he continues to rebuild his career following back-to-back defeats to Oleksandr Usyk.
Meanwhile, Francis Ngannou has only just begun his journey in boxing after the former UFC champion made his debut in the sport against Tyson Fury last year.
The Cameroonian powerhouse dropped the undefeated Gypsy King in the third round before going on to lose via split decision in controversial fashion.
Ngannou will be out to cause a huge upset on Friday night as he seeks his first professional win in boxing.
Read More: https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/26333780/why-ben-davison-training-anthony-joshua-for-francis-ngannou/
#anthonyjoshua #francisngannou #bendavison
The Sun delivers breaking news, latest gossip and incredible exclusives around the world with hubs in London, New York, Scotland and Ireland. Covering topics from news, money and sport along with our famous Fabulous Magazine, The Sun is the biggest newsbrand in the UK and one of the fastest growing news sites in the US. Stay tuned for video clips across the biggest news stories and segments from The Sun’s expert journalists.
Become a Sun Subscriber and hit the bell to be the first to know.
Read The Sun: https://www.thesun.co.uk/
Like The Sun on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thesun/
Follow The Sun on X: https://twitter.com/TheSun
Follow The Sun on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thesun
Subscribe to The Sun on Snapchat: https://www.snapchat.com/discover/The_Sun/1633225139
The Mastermind the professor what Monica do you go by now since resurrecting AJ’s career where’s he at a media perspective it seems strange for me to say but in December when we were pestering you for interviews you very politely said to us not just in Riad but when we saw you
Around a lee wood fight not doing it Lads I’m not doing it you didn’t want to upset the apple cart didn’t want to cause problems we didn’t know have Derek James was carry on you approached this exactly as someone should approach it and in boxing where clout and hits are
Currency it’s probably you know played a huge role in not just getting you the job because your ability but also the way you’ve handled it yeah I just think you know what is you got to look at the situation and okay if I have a prospect
Coming through and I want to try and push him I might do some interviews if we can keep it based on as much as possible based on that Prospect in terms of Anthony Joshua there’s not much difference I’m going to make in terms of selling East fight and promoting him and
Doing this and doing that I’m not going to scratch the service on any of that stuff so you know it just it just doesn’t make sense you know so um there was all these questions and just you know I’m really ke for his performances to do the talking was it
Easy for you though in in the buildup to because people do question him so much people do talk about his state of mind so much the the changing of trainers the moving of countries I’m sure you’ve had lots of measured words I mean even when
We had a chat one she said I don’t want it to be turned into a headline that’s a negative one but I’m sure you had lots of insightful way to explain how the relationship was evolving yeah I just think um you know he’s an Olympic gold medalist and the two time two-time
Unified heavyweight champion of the world he’s already got all these skills all we’ve done is just help him understand that and I think he’s got a lot more clarity in terms of how to use the tools he’s he’s got now and I would say that’s probably that’s probably what
We we’ve brought to him and uh he’s been very respondent to it so there was a little moment as well um in December when we were taken upstairs with AJ’s team to to have a chat with him about 10 minutes before this happened last time
And one thing that I did pick up and I could see his longterm team Naz and KD and Ben sitting down but the people he was having a laugh and a joke with just at that moment I saw was you and bazer so to to to build that bit of
Camaraderie to build that trust can sometime take years but it seems to be something that has clicked really early and for AJ I imagine Trust of of new people and new teams is would be an edgy sort of thing to to to harvest yeah I just think
I think you got to have a a sense of emotional intelligence to know I might not have known this person for 10 years but I can read the room you know he’s in the mood for a chat he’s not in the mood for a chat um that was the first Camp
Working with him but I feel like I am I’m I’m able to read the room and I knew you know when he might want his own bit of space when he wants to have a have a laugh and a joke um and just naturally you know that that relationship ships
You know there’s a lot of similarities in in the terms of the way he approaches things and thinks as well so yeah I understand him I know you love grabbing the lime light like this for the big interviews and and putting putting your name in lights but one man who
Constantly gets a great amount of credit and I love the stuff he puts out on social media is Lee Wy who doesn’t do any interviews who doesn’t want to be interviewed by anyone Devon Raves about him from what I understand AJ talks incredibly highly and me honestly when I
When I look back at fights and I see what he’s put out sometimes little boy Genius you’ve got hidden away in that office haven’t you yeah he’s a massive massive part of of what we do a massive part and uh he’s an absolute Gem
And uh is a uh a major role and a major importance to to the results and and the things that we do down at the gym so um you know we’ve got some unbelievable footage that you know we we’ve not put out anywhere of how fights have gone and drill that we’ve been
Doing before the fight pre fight in the changing room so one day all that stuff will come out Tyson did a a nice interview a couple of days ago from Thailand when he was asked about you linking up and he’s been peppered with that AJ’s been peppered with that it’s
This weird sort of Love Triangle for so po but it’s just boxing and it’s just work but he said that he he thought it should have happened a good couple of years ago and when he was watching AJ fly 5,000 miles to Texas he was thinking
Jesus you got a Geer half hour around the corner it would be perfect for you yeah look I just think one day you know they may end up fighting so there’s going to be a bit of back and forth bit of talking and all the rest it that’s what that’s what
They’re supposed to do sell a fight you know it’s it’s a humongous fight if they do end up fighting however um you know I’ve got a lot of love and respect for Tyson that will never change I got a lot of love and respect for AJ um the two
Great people you know I’ve never ever had a bad word to say about anybody that I’ve worked with I like to think that nobody’s had a bad word to say about me either don’t only boxing fans yeah only boxing fans but I mean the lads that
I’ve worked with so um you know that’s how it should be you know and we should respect each other and uh I’m really pleased that that’s how it is I know I’m looking miles ahead and I I shouldn’t do and you’re welcome to back the question
Off but do you think if that fight happens you would feel awkward about being in AJ Corner because we know you lived in that man’s house you bought him back from God knows that the depy well we know what the dep you know he’s talked about it and he was there all the
Way with him to be honest with you we just focused on France and G on Saturday night you know we got a mountain of a man in front of us and uh we got to deal with that before we even look anywhere ahead so just fully focused on that a
While back when we was doing elitewood interview and and you said oh you know let’s leave it and see how we go we did ask you if you could give AJ a bit of advice right now just just casually sitting in gye what would it be and I
Don’t know if you remember but I won’t ask you but have you been able to say that to him now and has he been receptive and does that sort of as as it as it come into fruition how you thought the relationship might work yeah that that slogan that that you you’re talking
About there that that is still the centerpiece behind most of the things that we focused on with with AJ so um like I say he’s really respondent he’s an absolute pleasure to work with extremely coachable absolutely loves the sport which you know excites me makes me really passionate makes it really
Enjoyable so um yeah it’s a pleasure to you know I can’t say any more than that when you look at the dads that You’ bought through all you know you got famous with Billy Joe you’ve had Josh Taylor You’ve Done amazing work with lee wood all smaller weights you’ve obviously worked with
Tyson but he was a bit of a different boxer back then what’s it like being able to without over egging it be the Puppet Master behind an 18 1 Stone monster with with the power that AJ’s got I mean how are your shoulders and your wrists but also how much of a a
Great challenge is it almost like a young manager being given a a Premier League football team yeah but I mean you know I’ve worked with I’ve been involved with two fighters that become Undisputed Champions already before working with with ajl you know lee wood world champion Devin Haney um Josh Taylor
Billy Joe suers as you mentioned Tyson so you just I treat every fight the same if I’m honest if it’s a four rounder sixth rounder world championship fight I’m passionate about what I do so really enjoy it um physically yes very challenging he’s clicked me a couple of
Times thank God he’s been he’s pulled him slightly um sometimes I’ve not been braced with a body belt and felt a few of them but uh you know he’s obviously an absolute monster so physically is demand him but I wouldn’t have it any other way stick the body butt on Barry
And let you have a rest yeah definitely one last question Ben because I know You’ got a go and do your work for some reason and boxing fans are the most fickle sports fans probably ever but I do sometimes see people ever dig at you
Oh he PL or plastic b or Boxer size band and smug and honestly every time I’ve had a chatville you’ve always been very polite and helpful and it’s rare when someone says I don’t want to do interviews and you do it in a polite way
So why do you think that weird sort of anti Bend sentiment has come from it clearly doesn’t bother you too much but for a nice fellow it must just sort of be a bit strange for you yeah I would say I was young when I first come onto
The scene I didn’t have a you know I didn’t have a family member that was involved I didn’t you know people didn’t know who I was I just popped out a nowhere on to this big stage and uh I probably did talk too much when I was
Young I was 24 years old at the time like everybody we learn we mature we grow up and um I’ve learned along the way and I’ll probably do a little bit less talking now and that’s something that I’ve learned I’d say um so look it’s part and part people
Behind the camera don’t don’t really know the person in front of the camera um and that’s why sometimes when they have these opinions yes it can be disappointing you want people to think well of you everybody would not going to deny that but you can only take it with
Pin talk because they’ve never spent a day in the gym or never spent 10 minutes with me so you can’t take too much into some people’s opinion but some people speak really highly and some people probably over o over overestimate sorry overrate me as well so um yeah take a
Good with good with a bad
