AJ’s trainer warns Ngannou and reveals how Brit can beat ex-UFC star
ANTHONY JOSHUA’s trainer has warned the Briton of the “serious threat” posed by Francis Ngannou.
Ben Davison will be in AJ’s corner for the stunning crossover fight later this month.
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He has worked with some of the best superstars in boxing, including Tyson Fury.
And the respected coach now wants to help Joshua rebuild his career after the Briton lost his world heavyweight titles to Oleksandr Usyk in 2021.
In AJ’s last fight, he cruised to an impressive victory over Otto Wallin in December.
And he now faces a tough test against UFC king Ngannou, who controversially lost to Fury in his first-ever boxing match last year.
Davison admits he told AJ not to treat Ngannou lightly.
The boxing expert fears the MMA star’s general fighting skills will serve him well in the ring again.
But Davison believes Joshua can achieve victory by using his own ‘toolbox’ correctly.
He told the One on one podcast: “(Ngannou) is a fighter, he’s a novice boxer, but he’s a fighter. He’s had a lot of fights and he’s had a boxing match at the highest level.
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“He’s a serious threat, we’re treating him like a serious threat, we’re treating him like, ‘This is Ngannou, we have to deal with it.’
“Physically speaking, you can’t pick two other boys and think, ‘I hope it’s not him’, on the playground or in the bar!
ANTHONY JOSHUA VS FRANCIS NGANNOU: ALL THE DETAILS YOU NEED FOR A HUGE CROSSOVER CASE
“In addition to being a well-trained fighter, now a boxer who has boxed at the highest level…
“He had (MMA) fights where he won the world heavyweight title, he took a step up in boxing at the world level.
“How can you not call him world-class? You have to regard him that way, we certainly are.’
As for how AJ can become triumphant, Davison added: “It’s less adding (tools), more understanding
“He already has a huge toolbox, it’s more a case of: ‘You know this tool, did you know it can be used for this?’
“I don’t like the whole ‘rejuvenated AJ’ thing, all we’ve done is help him understand his own tools and select the right tool for the job.”