Anthony Joshua is making the right decision to take a tune up fight before boxing Tyson Fury, says Ben Davison, who’s trained both men.
Joshua is set to return on July 25 against Kristian Prenga in Riyadh before boxing Fury later this year.
There is a concern that a warm-up fight for Joshua could prove an additional hurdle ahead of the all-British heavyweight mega-fight.
But Davison believes it's the right call. "Everybody knows about the accident and the crash, naturally he would have come out of that accident with injuries," the trainer told Your Site.
"Make sure that his body's good and ready to go before going into that fight, which I think makes sense. Tyson's just had his tune up fight."
Davison noted that Joshua doesn't typically disclose injuries.
"He's always been like that. There's been situations that have happened sometimes in fights that he's won, sometimes in fights that he's lost and I think he's never looked to share situations publicly," he said.
"I think he's always just took it on the chin, dealt with it and worked in silence and I think that's something to be admired as well."
Davison is in a unique position having worked intensively with both Fury and Joshua, taking both into major fights. Not that he has a prediction for who will win their fight.
"When you get to a certain level both men are capable of winning the fight. I think it boils down to how they approach the fight and I don't know how both men are going to approach the fight," he said.
He does see similarities between them.
"At heart they're both really good guys. But I just feel the way they've approached the showmanship of boxing is the complete opposite. But naturally those two guys have changed boxing, especially in the UK. Really changed the game. To do that says something," Davison said.
"At the same time that takes its toll. To go through the things they have to go through and do the things they have to do and the pressures and the rest of it, all of that. There are similarities there for sure and how they deal with it is different.
"Most people can't even comprehend the pressure and all the rest of it that they're under," he added. "There's high pressure, high expectation, lots of people relying on you.
"It's really tough and you can only commend what they've both done in the sport. I'm extremely grateful, lucky and blessed to have worked with both of those guys."
