Carl Froch has questioned Anthony Joshua's decision to reunite with trainer Ben Davison, warning that the two-time heavyweight world champion may feel there is a 'rat' in his camp ahead of his clash with Tyson Fury.
Joshua is preparing for his all-British showdown with Fury, scheduled for December 11 in Cardiff. The 37-year-old recently revealed that he would once again team up with Davison, who previously trained Fury.
Trainer switch raises concerns
Joshua left Davison after being knocked out by Daniel Dubois two years ago. He then joined Oleksandr Usyk's team for his two most recent wins — back-to-back knockout victories over Jake Paul and Kristian Prenga. Just months after stopping Prenga, the heavyweight icon has changed trainers again.
Former super-middleweight champion Froch believes the decision is 'weird' and insists Joshua may feel there is a rat in his team. Speaking to BetVictor Online Casino, he said: "It doesn’t sound like an ideal setup when somebody training you has been talking to your ultimate nemesis and your next opponent."
Froch points to Dubois defeat
Froch also recalled Joshua's defeat to Dubois, which came with Davison in his corner. "It doesn’t sound right. I don’t know how often they’re in touch, but if they do talk, it’s very strange. It’s weird AJ has got Ben Davison anyway because he got splattered by [Daniel] Dubois with Ben Davison in his corner telling him to roll the dice. He must be quite cheap. It must be fashionable to have Ben Davison in your corner. I don’t see it, to be honest."
"I know he was with Fury ages ago. I don’t think it’s ideal, I don’t think it’s good. If he’s training AJ and he’s potentially on the phone to Fury, you feel like there’s a rat in the camp. There’s a mole in the camp feeding back," he added.
Khan says trainer alone won't decide fight
Boxing icon Amir Khan also weighed in, saying Joshua's decision to link up with Davison again will not be enough to beat Fury. "He knows Tyson Fury well, but still, a trainer, it’s not enough. A trainer can’t tell him how to fight. You might tell him the fundamentals, that’s about it, really, but a trainer really isn’t going to make a difference," Khan told Hard Rock Bet.
"Mentally, yes. It might be like a bit of a mental advantage that AJ has got over Fury, that I’ve got your old trainer in my corner. But I don’t think it makes a difference because when you’re in that ring, everyone’s game plan changes when you get punched in the face."
