TYSON FURY’S trainer Ben Davison just wants fight week to be over.
The endless interview requests. The cameras in his face. The criticism from those who believe he will not be able to cope under the pressure. Not only for him, but for the “Gypsy King”, who challenges WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder on Saturday night.
Davison, who turned 26 this week, was a surprise choice to take over from Peter Fury when Tyson announced his return earlier this year. Unproven as a coach at world class level he might be, but Davison has already achieved a miracle by guiding Fury back to fitness. Yet his inexperience has led many observers to question if he can cope with what lies ahead.
“Why would I feel pressure?” Davison told Boxing News, slightly agitated. “Because of what Tom, Dick and Harry have got to say? Not really, not bothered. It’s difficult. You’ve got people that will support you, then you’ve got the haters. Do you know what it is? It’s because we’ve done everything right.”
“I can’t stand all of this media stuff, but I suppose it’s got to be done,” he continued. “It is a job and there’s always aspects of the job that you don’t want to do.”
It’s been a hectic fight week for all involved, particularly for Wilder and Fury, who have fulfilled myriad media commitments.
“He’s good, he’s okay,” Davison said of his charge. “If he doesn’t want to do something, I make sure it gets cancelled or gets stripped back because his best interests are what matter. We’re here to fight and this is just part of it.”
Tempers ran high at Wednesday’s final press conference when the rivals almost came to blows following an argument that escalated quickly.
“I knew it was going to go that way,” said Davison. “I’ve told Showtime a million times to make sure there’s security there because I know what’s going to happen. It’s two big characters, two alpha males, nobody wants to give an inch. What happens when two alpha males come together in the jungle? The same thing.”
Wilder – who came to boxing as a 20-year-old – took offence to Fury’s declaration that his family had been fighting for 200 years, compared to the champion’s comparatively limited experience of combat. It quickly became racially fuelled, with Wilder referencing the battle endured by his African American ancestors, which can be traced back 400 years.
“I don’t know what he meant when he started talking about 400 years,” Davison explained. “I think he thought that when Tyson said my people have been fighting for 200 years, he thought Tyson meant Travellers and his culture. But what Tyson meant was his family – his dad was a fighter, his dad’s dad was a fighter. But Wilder got the wrong end of the stick.
“I like Deontay Wilder so I don’t want to press on the subject. At the end of the day you’ve got get in there and fight on Saturday, and that’s what matters.”
