Anthony Joshua has revealed the real reason he split from trainer Ben Davison ahead of his December 19 showdown with Jake Paul, and it has nothing to do with dissatisfaction. Instead, Joshua says London had become “a bit distracting,” prompting him to accept an unexpected invitation to train with Oleksandr Usyk’s championship team.
Joshua and Davison linked up in 2023 after his departure from Derrick James, producing wins over Otto Wallin and Francis Ngannou before a crushing fifth-round knockout loss to Daniel Dubois in September 2024. That defeat cost Joshua another shot at reclaiming the heavyweight throne and sent him into a 15-month spell of inactivity. Now preparing for an eight-round bout with Paul, Joshua has again changed course but insists the move is strategic, not personal.
Speaking at the fight’s launch press conference, Joshua called Davison a “phenomenal coach” and said he left only after discussing the idea of joining Usyk’s camp with him directly. “Ben said, ‘100 percent – that’s a great move,’” Joshua revealed. The former unified champion has now been training in Spain with Usyk’s team for several months, guided by a head trainer identified only as Igor.
Joshua said the opportunity to absorb knowledge from a three-time undisputed champion was impossible to ignore. “Getting an insight into how someone who has achieved so much has been phenomenal,” he explained. “They’re killing me, drilling me - but this is where I need to be. That’s how serious I’m taking Jake.”
The choice is striking given that Usyk defeated Joshua twice, but Joshua appears to view the move as a way to tap into elite preparation and rebuild for another run at the heavyweight title. First, though, he’ll need to get past Paul on December 19.
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