Ben Davison is a British boxing trainer who is most known for helping Tyson Fury return to the top of the heavyweight division.
Davison has had perhaps the most unconventional routes into boxing than any other modern-day trainer. He boxed briefly as an amateur, but his attention soon turned to football.
He reached a good level and played for semi-professional side Stevenage Borough but boxing has always been his first love.
Chance meetings with Fury and Billy Joe Saunders opened the door for him to make a career in boxing as a full time trainer having previously helped fighters with diet nutrition, strength and conditioning and fitness.
Speaking about his rise in the sport, Davison said: "My dad boxed as an amateur and I was involved in boxing since before I could walk. I then boxed as an amateur but then I played football at a decent level for Stevenage.
"I was on and off with boxing and then Billy Joe Saunders asked me to work for him. I had to make a decision and to be honest, I've had much more emotional pleasure from training. I've found my niche and I'm lucky to have done so."
Davison saw his man Leigh Wood beaten by Mexican knockout specialist Mauricio Lara to lose his WBA featherweight title in February 2023.
Wood regained his WBA featherweight title with revenge against Lara in Manchester in May 2023.
Saunders and Davison have known each other for some years and the duo briefly worked together in 2016 after Saunders split from trainer Mark Tibbs, who had trained the southpaw since he turned professional in 2008.
Under Davison, Danny Vaughan and Johnney Roye, Saunders made a successful first defence of his WBO middleweight title.
Saunders then opted to appoint Adam Booth for a stint in 2017 but they never worked together for a fight. Saunders relocated to Sheffield and linked up with Dominic Ingle - most known for his work with the likes of Kid Galahad and Kell Brook in recent times.
In March 2019, Saunders confirmed Davison as his full time trainer, and he was in charge of his world title triumph at super middleweight against Shefat Isufi.
Davison and Saunders continued to work together in 2020 and were training in Las Vegas ahead of an expected press conference to take on Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez.
However, with no contracts signed and the coronavirus pandemic forcing sport to postpone events, the fight fell through.
In September 2020, Tibbs confirmed he was working with Saunders again after nearly five years from splitting and was in his corner for Saunders' defeat to Canelo in May 2021. Davison was also there to support him.
In 2020, Josh Taylor appointed Davison as his new trainer after a messy split from Shane McGuigan and Cyclone Promotions.
Former world champion Taylor unified the 140-pound division by beating Regis Prograis.
This fight was the final of the World Boxing Super Series at London's O2 Arena in October 2019. In the aftermath of this win, Taylor split with Barry McGuigan's Cyclone promotion and subsequently cut ties with the McGuigans.
Taylor is represented by Bob Arum's Top Rank and confirmed Davison as his new trainer despite having a brief trial with Adam Booth.
Together they achieved history as Taylor defeated Jose Ramirez to become Britain's first four-belt undisputed champion.
Davison also works with American world champion Devin Haney. He was in the corner of Devin Haney alongside his father Bill Haney during his victory over Jorge Linares to retain his title and was also present for Haney's most recent win over JoJo Diaz.
On July 31, 2021, Davison won another world title as trainer with Leigh Wood. The Nottingham fighter overcame Xu Can, knocking him out in round 12 to become WBA featherweight world champion.
Wood was regarded as an underdog going into the fight and was written off by many. Davison was lauded for his tactics, which saw Wood completely outclass his Chinese opponent throughout the bout.
Davison is also working with bright prospect Lee McGregor who is currently 12-0-1 and won the EBU bantamweight title in 2021 against Karim Guerfi.
Davison was just 23-years-old when he first met Fury in the back of a car during his break in Marbella. Fury and Saunders have long been friends, so it was only a matter of time before the "Gypsy King" would eventually meet Davison.
At this point, Fury had hit rock bottom. Weighing over 300-pounds and abusing his body with alcohol and drugs, the Morecombe fighter attempted suicide on several occasions.
Davison is credited as one of the people who had a huge impact on turning Fury's life around.
The young trainer moved in with Fury and lived with his family for 14 months as he worked with Fury to help him rediscover his fitness.
He helped Fury lose more than 100-pounds - an equivalent to Kal Yafai body weight - which sparked his return to the ring in 2018 alongside promoter Frank Warren.
Ben Davison
Fury's first fight since ending the dominant reign of Wladimir Klitschko in 2015 took place three years later in June against 39-year-old Sefer Seferi.
Tipping the scales at 276-pounds, Fury toyed with his opponent for the majority of the fight before Seferi's corner threw in the towel after round four.
The "Gypsy King" fought Francesco Pianeta next in what proved to be another comfortable tune-up fight in Belfast.
Soon after, his eagerly anticipated fight with Wilder for the WBC world heavyweight title was confirmed.
It proved to be a memorable heavyweight fight which saw Fury miraculously get up and beat the 10-count in the final round. Despite two knockdowns, most observers felt Fury had done enough to win the green-and-gold belt.
A rematch was inevitable between the pair, but Fury had two fights prior to his second world title shot. The second of which was against undefeated Swede Otto Wallin on Mexican Independence Weekend in 2019.
While Fury outpointed the Swedish southpaw, he suffered a horrific cut above his eye which later required 47 stitches.
It would be the last time Fury and Davison linked up with SugarHill Steward - nephew of the great Emanuel - taking over the reins alongside Fury's cousin and former world champion Andy Lee.
The pair remain good friends and Fury has since refused to rule out a reunion before he hangs the gloves up.
Speaking after Fury's win over Wilder, Davison proved his class in an interview with talkSPORT.
"What's most important to me is Tyson being victorious. Tyson had said to me he wanted to adopt a more aggressive approach to it.
"It proved to be the right decision for him and obviously I wanted him to be victorious more than anything. So as well as a coach and fighter relationship, we had a friendship that was more than anything else.
"I wanted him to win and if that meant I was going to be there and - put bluntly - if it meant that I wasn't going to gain from it financially, that doesn't matter.
"As long as what was best for him, and it proved to be the right decision."
A crossover fantasy fight with undisputed implications, Anthony Joshua faces Francis Ngannou on Friday night but may have one eye on a future clash with Tyson Fury or Oleksandr Usyk.
The promoter is in talks with the unified junior welterweight champion and is hoping to stage the rematch alongside Bob Arum's Top Rank.
Ben Davison has shrugged off claims that Jack Catterall was robbed of a famous victory over Josh Taylor.
Leigh Wood makes the first defence of his WBA featherweight title this weekend against Michael Conlan and he will have to rely on more than raw punch power to get the job done.
Josh Taylor is making the first defence of his four world titles since defeating Jose Ramirez in May 2020.
Ben Davison is regarded as one of Britain's best trainers right now, and looking at his accomplishments below, it is no surprise.
Ben Davison was speaking ahead of the upcoming showdown between Leigh Wood and Michael Conlan.
