Anthony Joshua Just Hired Tyson Fury's Old Trainer — And Fury Has Already Called Him A "Traitor"

Just when we thought Fury vs Joshua had gone all soft and wholesome, the plot has THICKENED.

Anthony Joshua has reunited with trainer Ben Davison for the December mega-fight, and there's a spicy catch: Davison used to train Tyson Fury. Fury's response, according to Sky Sports, was to brand him a "traitor". Yes, really.

Wait, Back Up: The Friendly Press Conference

Cast your mind back to Wednesday. According to BBC Sport, the two heavyweights traded jokes, swapped pleasantries and even talked about going for a pint at the launch event in London. Joshua pretended to tickle Fury's stomach at the face-off. We were not prepared.

Fury even said he hopes they can share a Guinness after the fight, "win, lose or draw". Joshua's reply? "I don't know if I can trust you."

Hold that thought, because it's about to get very relevant.

Enter Ben Davison

Per Sky Sports, Davison has the unique distinction of having trained BOTH men. He helped Fury in his comeback from a long hiatus, including the unbeaten run that featured the first Deontay Wilder fight in 2018. More recently he worked with Joshua, though AJ moved on and brought in trainers from Oleksandr Usyk's camp for his last two fights.

Now Davison is back as Joshua's head trainer, which means that for the first time he'll be in the opposite corner to Fury on fight night. Awkward doesn't cover it.

The Tea ☕

• Joshua has rehired Ben Davison, who previously trained Fury, for the December 11 fight at Cardiff's Principality Stadium.
• Fury has reportedly branded Davison a "traitor".
• Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn says it's not a Fury-targeting move.

Hearn's Defence

Eddie Hearn told Sky Sports News that Joshua never really cut ties with Davison. "Even in the last fight and the one before, he was always working with Ben Davison behind the scenes," he said.

Hearn added that Davison knowing Fury well isn't "the defining reason" for the move, and that Joshua is still working with Usyk's team too. The game plan, he says, is simple: land one on Fury's chin.

Sky Sports' Johnny Nelson, meanwhile, said he was "surprised". He noted that he saw Tyson and Shane Fury walk past calling Davison a traitor, and that Davison "had a little smile on him". Nelson also said he's not a fan of fighters chopping and changing trainers, but called it "AJ's call".

Is Joshua's Corner Settled?

Sky notes that since Rob McCracken, Joshua has gone through Robert Garcia, Derrick James, Davison and then Iegor Golub. That's a lot of head trainers! Hearn insists it doesn't signal an unsettled camp, just some strategy "tweaking".

Meanwhile, the build-up has already had a bit of everything: contract uncertainty, a Dana White promotional tangle, and a WBA title objection from current champ Murat Gassiev's team, all reported by BBC Sport. And we're still more than two months out.

So much for burying the hatchet over a pint. The hatchet is very much out.

Is Davison a genius insider move or a distraction waiting to blow up? Are you Team Joshua or Team Fury for December 11? Sound off below.

Sources: Sky Sports | BBC Sport