sport news Tyson Fury's ex-trainer Ben Davison outlines goal to 'blow every coach in ...

sport news Tyson Fury's ex-trainer Ben Davison outlines goal to 'blow every coach in ...
sport news Tyson Fury's ex-trainer Ben Davison outlines goal to 'blow every coach in ...

It is just approaching 1pm when Ben Davison wraps up a gruelling pads session with the undisputed super-lightweight champion of the world, takes a seat in the bulky leather chair at his ringside desk and reflects on a recent personal accolade. 

Davison, tasked with stewarding the career of 140lbs king Josh Taylor amongst many others, was last month named on the shortlist for Ring Magazine's prestigious Trainer of the Year award, a prize swept up in the end by Canelo Alvarez's A-list coach Eddy Reynoso.

'It's the second time I've been nominated for it, but I ain't won it yet,' he laughs. 'Second place doesn't get you f**k all does it!

'If it wasn't for Canelo...' 

Tyson Fury's former trainer Ben Davison recently sat down for an interview with Sportsmail

Tyson Fury's former trainer Ben Davison recently sat down for an interview with Sportsmail

Coming off second best to Reynoso is certainly no indignity. The Mexican trainer would have taken some beating last year after masterminding Canelo's undisputed heroics at super-middleweight, Oscar Valdez's emphatic victory against Miguel Berchelt and Ryan Garcia's knockout win over Luke Campbell.   

Though Davison also enjoyed quite the year himself; helping Taylor complete the set at super-lightweight, overseeing Lee McGregor's European bantamweight title success and guiding Leigh Wood to the WBA featherweight title with a remarkable knockout of Can Xu.  

And perhaps more incredibly, the 29-year-old has now gone almost six years without defeat as a lead trainer.

Davison enjoyed a terrific 2021 which peaked when Josh Taylor became undisputed champion

Davison enjoyed a terrific 2021 which peaked when Josh Taylor became undisputed champion 

The 29-year-old was nominated for Ring Magazine's prestigious Trainer of the Year award

The 29-year-old was nominated for Ring Magazine's prestigious Trainer of the Year award

He was a runner up in the end, with Canelo Alvarez's A-list coach Eddy Reynoso claiming it

He was a runner up in the end, with Canelo Alvarez's A-list coach Eddy Reynoso claiming it

He burst onto the scene four years ago as the jovial youngster aiding former world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury on his unlikely comeback from the pits of depression and substance abuse to a world-title showdown with Deontay Wilder. Now Davison is a respected coach in his own right, attracting both star names and talented prospects to his ever-growing stable.

Yet, a trainer boasting one of the sport's two current undisputed champions, and who proved a key component in Fury's famous return, often finds himself ridiculed by large sections of the British boxing public over his lack of long-term experience. Some cruelly brand Davison, whose first big break came five years ago in the corner of two-weight champion Billy Joe Saunders, no more than a fitness guru, 'Boxercise Ben' the popular taunt.

When asked if the criticism bothers him, he replies: 'Not really. To be honest with you it actually entertains me.

'I put stuff out there on purpose because I know it annoys people. So I actually quite enjoy playing up to it.

Davison has come along way since he burst onto the scene as a youngster helping Tyson Fury

Davison has come along way since he burst onto the scene as a youngster helping Tyson Fury

But despite his success he remains an easy target for naysayers on social media platforms

But despite his success he remains an easy target for naysayers on social media platforms

'But it doesn't bother me because my boys win, it's as simple as that. If they were losing it would bother me. My guys win.  

'And I've not got many lads that have been boxing journeymen. Most of them have been title fights. So the criticism and that, it doesn't really bother me. You're always gonna get it no matter what.

'Roy Jones used to say they even criticised Jesus, so you've got no hope!'

Davison often struggles to resist firing back to wind up his detractors on social media. But why is he targeted so frequently?

'Because I call out the bulls***,' he insists. 'There are a lot of s*** trainers out there, that's a matter of fact.

The new coach on the block believes he is targeted because he 'calls out the bulls***'

The new coach on the block believes he is targeted because he 'calls out the bulls***'

'I just haven't got it in me to be like, 'Oh yeah he did really well, he's a good coach' if deep down I think they're s***.

'It's probably not politically correct. I put things out there that p****s people off on purpose.

'And the more success you have the more people want you to lose. Floyd Mayweather, everyone always wanted him to lose.

'Listen, at some point I'm probably gonna have a fighter lose and they're all gonna come piling in. In reality, obviously it's gonna bother me that my fighter's lost, but I don't care what people have got to say because the results and what we're doing for fighters is what matters.'  

Despite helping his son complete a life-saving transformation, and produce a performance against Wilder which should have resulted in a second world-title triumph, Davison's stock took a hit when John Fury, Tyson's outspoken father, took aim at the young coach after their challenging win over Otto Wallin in 2019.

Davison's stock took a hit when Fury laboured to victory against Otto Wallin back in 2019

Davison's stock took a hit when Fury laboured to victory against Otto Wallin back in 2019

Fury's father John hit out at the young coach and urged his son to change his training team

Fury's father John hit out at the young coach and urged his son to change his training team

Fury, who suffered a gruesome cut early on in the fight, laboured to victory over 12 rounds and looked a shadow of the fighter who had bamboozled Wilder almost a year earlier. And when his dad blamed Davison for that sluggish display, the pair parted company.

'You can't expect a boy to do a man's job. He did a great job, but he was only a companion for Tyson,' Fury Sr later said on BT Sport. 'When it comes to technique and knowledge I've seen a lot of flaws in his work.'

While a more explosive Fury did go on to batter Wilder from pillar to post in the next two instalments of their classic trilogy, Davison still deserves credit aplenty for dragging him back from 400lbs to the brink of heavyweight glory once more. Many told him it couldn't be done.

'Every fighter that we've worked with has improved,' he continues. 'No one thought Tyson was gonna be able to make a comeback. Then all of a sudden it was that he was expected to do that. That's how good of a job we done, cos [sic] at the time people thought it couldn't be done.

Tyson Fury ballooned to almost 400lbs in weight

Tyson Fury returned to the ring in 2018 after a layoff

But Davison says he was given 'no chance' in bringing Fury back from the pits of depression

'I know coaches who were laughing at him and thinking "no chance". Eddie Hearn went on a podcast and said, "I genuinely looked at him and thought no chance". Even his own dad thought he was gonna get blown away in three rounds against Wilder.

'I think things like (the comeback) will be appreciated more in time to come. Because he's still boxing currently now I think people forget, but when he retires one day and they look back I think it'll probably be more appreciated.'

Two years on from his split with Fury, Davison now finds himself a more experienced, educated and assured coach. He is still nine months out from his 30th birthday, notably young in comparison with the majority of his colleagues, and can further maximise his talents in the coming years. 'If you don't (improve) you're doing something wrong,' he admits.

So looking back on his time with Fury, would a wiser Davison do anything differently if he could rewind the clock? 

The pair should have had the cherry on the cake when he was denied victory vs Deontay Wilder

The pair should have had the cherry on the cake when he was denied victory vs Deontay Wilder

Davison says he wouldn't change a thing about his time working with the Gypsy King

Davison says he wouldn't change a thing about his time working with the Gypsy King

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