There will be another new face in Anthony Joshua’s corner when he takes on Otto Wallin in Saudi Arabia on 23 December.
After years standing alongside Rob McCracken, the two-time heavyweight champion has made changes to his team since losing his titles to Oleksandr Usyk in 2021. Robert Garcia was brought into the camp for the rematch but after Joshua came up short again against the undefeated Ukrainian, that partnership came to an end.
This year, Joshua linked up with Derrick James, the experienced American who also counts Errol Spence Jr, Jermell Charlo and Ryan Garcia among his stable of fighters.
Relocating his fight camps to Texas where James is based, Joshua got back to winning ways under his guidance, securing a points win over Jermaine Franklin in April before his vicious knockout victory over Robert Helenius in August.
With his pre-Christmas showdown with Wallin announced just six weeks before fight night, Joshua has remained in the UK to work in camp with Ben Davison, who he has been working with over the last few months, according to his promoter Eddie Hearn. While Joshua recently opted not to discuss the situation, Davison will reportedly be in his corner on the night.
Davison counts Tyson Fury, Billy Joe Saunders and Josh Taylor as the world champions he has worked with in the past with Leigh Wood – who vacated his featherweight title to move up in weight last month – part of his current stable.
He also has intimate knowledge of Joshua’s opponent Wallin, having been in Fury’s corner the night he fought the Swede four years ago in Las Vegas.
It has been reported James remains Joshua’s head trainer, with the arrangement with Davison a one-time deal brought on by logistical issues around the fight.
Viddal Riley, the reigning English cruiserweight champion, has first-hand knowledge of what goes on behind the scenes to prepare a fighter having trained YouTube stars KSI and AnEsonGib before shifting focus back to his own burgeoning career.
The Hackney fighter developed close connections with the men he put through their paces, believing Joshua and Davison can develop a similar understanding providing the latter can ‘get through’ to the former heavyweight champion.
‘It is an experiment,’ Riley told Metro.co.uk. ‘There is a lot on the line so it gets a lot of attention so people like to throw in their non expert views which they are entitled to do. Buts it is an experiment.
‘He could be a great coach for someone else and not be a good coach for Anthony Joshua. But then he could be great for AJ. Ben is a proven coach. At the end of the day, it is down to their personal communication and methods of teaching.
‘We can’t say Ben is a bad trainer or he is not qualified for the job because he is has shown he is, he has trained multiple world champions over multiple divisions. But can he get through to AJ? Only they and the people who are in the gym and around them will know that. Hopefully they can.’
Viddal believes the fighter-trainer dynamic is the same for any athlete in sport looking of guidance and instruction. It applies no more so than in football where he likens the situation to that of former Chelsea, Tottenham and Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho, one of the game’s most celebrated coaches who hasn’t always found perfect harmony with his players.
‘That’s what every athlete is seeking, a coach who can get through to them,’ he continued. ‘A coach who can make the difference. It is not based on accolades. Jose Mourinho is a very accomplished manager but with certain teams, he can’t make it happen.
‘It doesn’t mean he is a bad manager, it just means he couldn’t connect with that group of players. It is all about communication and connection. So if he [Davison] has that relationship and AJ can absorb what Ben is saying like a sponge and they get on well, then I think we see a great outcome in December.
‘Finding the right coach can be as simple as finding the right pair of trainers. It is just the public eye is on it. It is hard to keep things under wraps because everything is just gossip. It isn’t fair, but it is part of the process and part of being a world class athlete. People care and that is the reason [these fighters] are in this position.’
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