Anthony Joshua has been advised to part ways with his trainer, Ben Davison, following his recent shocking knockout defeat to Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium.
The call comes from a former world champion, Roy Jones Jr., who believes Davison’s lack of in-ring experience may have contributed to Joshua’s downfall.
Joshua, once the darling of British boxing, suffered a crushing loss to Dubois in front of 98,000 fans at Wembley., where he was floored multiple times by the 27-year-old before securing a fifth-round knockout, leaving Joshua’s career hanging in the balance.
Speaking to talkSPORT, Jones Jr. didn’t mince words about Davison’s role in the defeat, saying, “It takes real boxing knowledge and IQ and people who have been there.
“You have to have somebody who knows how to travel those seas when things get tough.”
The boxing legend argued that Davison’s limited fighting experience puts him at a disadvantage when coaching at the highest level.
“Yeah, I don’t think Ben Davison has had a lot of fights himself. He has had a lot of coaching. But he hasn’t been there himself, and it’s hard if you haven’t been there yourself,” Jones Jr. added.
However, not everyone agrees with Jones Jr.’s assessment, with Eddie Hearn, Joshua’s promoter, stoutly defending Davison. While speaking to Boxing Scene, Hearn insisted that Joshua did “all the things” Davison didn’t tell him to do during the fight, and he believes the defeat lies firmly at Joshua’s door rather than his trainer’s.
AJ did things that Ben didn’t tell him to do; he pulled back in a straight line with his chin in the air, his hand position, you know, all this kind of stuff,” Hearn said.
The loss to Dubois marks Joshua’s fourth career defeat and has sent shockwaves through the boxing world.
Legendary promoter Bob Arum went as far as suggesting that Joshua’s career might be over.
“No, you don’t have an off night getting the s*** kicked out of you that way,” Arum told FightHub.
“I just think AJ has been through a lot of wars. And I think it’s over for him as well as over for Wilder. Maybe they can fight each other; that’d be good.”
The defeat has also had immediate consequences for Joshua’s standing in the sport, plummeting six places in the latest WBO rankings, dropping from the top spot to seventh place. This dramatic fall reflects the seismic shift in the heavyweight landscape following the Wembley showdown.
Despite the setback, Joshua remains defiant about his future in boxing. In a video message to his fans, he said, “It’s about making the right steps forward and working hard. Keep your seatbelts on because deep, deep down in (my heart), I know we’ve got a lot more to bring. British Boxing, I appreciate you, and let’s rise up together.”
Hearn has hinted at a potential rematch with Dubois, as Joshua is still contracted for one more fight with Saudi Arabia boxing supremo Turki Alalshikh and Riyadh Season. This could provide Joshua with a redemptive opportunity to silence his critics.
