Trainer Ben Davison says the level of boxing coaching in the UK is “not good enough” and has described other trainers in the country as “lazy”.
The 28-year-old was nominated for Ring Magazine’s trainer of the year award, having led Scotland’s Josh Taylor to the undisputed light-welterweight title in 2021.
He was also in the corner for Briton Leigh Wood’s WBA super-featherweight title win over China’s Xu Can and has worked with American WBC lightweight champion Devin Haney.
Speaking to the 5 Live Boxing podcast, Davison said: “I feel like the level of coaching is poor in this country. They’re lazy – that’s the reality of it. I outwork them – that’s the reality of it.
“They may have 30 or 40 years on me but the amount of time I spend studying the sport, my fighters, the opponents, it’s unrivalled work.”
Having boxed at amateur level, Davison worked with two-weight champion Billy Joe Saunders in 2016 before being introduced to Tyson Fury.
Davison trained the British heavyweight between 2017 and 2019 and oversaw Fury’s 10-stone weight-loss and the draw with Deontay Wilder in December 2018.
Fury – the current WBC champion – and Davison parted ways, but the trainer’s stable now includes Taylor, Wood, European bantamweight champion Lee McGregor and 2021 Olympians and twin brothers Pat and Luke McCormack.
“I’ve been able to fast track as a coach,” said Davison, who has not suffered a defeat as a trainer since 2016.
“But if all these other guys who have been coaching for 30 or 40 years were good enough they’d be here.”
Davison will be in Taylor’s corner for the title defence against Chorley’s Jack Catterall in Glasgow on 24 February, while Wood faces Northern Ireland’s Michael Conlan in Nottingham on 12 March.
‘Eubank-Williams wasted without crowds’ – Smith
Also in this week’s podcast, British Boxing Board of Control general secretary Robert Smith said it “made sense” for the sport to take a circuit breaker in January.
British boxing has been suspended this month because of the increase in coronavirus cases.
“We started to get a lot of positive tests end of November and beginning of December. After the weekend of 18-19 December it went sky high. At that point I knew we had an issue,” Smith said.
“During November we had 40 shows, the most we’ve ever done, and 27 shows in December. To be honest, hand on heart, we limped across the line.”
The BBBofC announced all events would be postponed so medics could concentrate on the fight against Covid-19.
“It’s not fair on those boxers who trained and weren’t affected by Covid but suddenly are not boxing,” Smith added.
“We also had officials. Trying to cover the show was difficult. The doctors was also a major issue – we have to look after them the best we can.”
Chris Eubank Jr’s all-British middleweight bout with Liam Williams was scheduled for Cardiff on 29 January but is set to be moved to 5 February.
However, government rules in Wales currently prohibit fans from attending major sporting events in the country and Smith says a decision must be made soon on whether the fight goes ahead.
“It’s a fight which is pretty wasted without crowds,” he said.
“If the Welsh government allow it, that’s fantastic. If not, a decision has to be made whether it takes place.
“Next week has to be a decision for the promoter. You can’t suddenly click your fingers and put a show together. They need time.”
