Anthony Joshua believes new coach Ben Davison is on par with Derrick James as the British heavyweight continues his revival.
Joshua faces Francis Ngannou on March 8, knowing victory will mean an opportunity to become a three-time champion like Muhammad Ali.
Before his last fight against Otto Wallin, AJ switched from James to Davison despite having success with the American. Joshua raised eyebrows with the move before making it a permanent partnership after stopping the Swede impressively.
The Londoner feels comfortable with a trainer again, having gone through five in two years. The ex-unified titleholder has since heaped substantial praise on the man Tyson Fury left behind after a draw with Deontay Wilder.
Anthony Joshua on Ben Davison
“It’s really good working with him and the whole team at the academy. They have helped a lot,” Joshua said. “I still speak a lot with Derrick James in the States, but being home and having someone just as good, I’m just searching for greatness really.
“I’m continuously searching for greatness, how to elevate myself, push forward in every aspect of my game. This is just another challenge.
“During each challenge, I find out so much about myself. Even though I already know who I am, I know I am going to discover new things about myself and things that can take me to new heights.
“Every fight leads to somewhere, so this fight is my everything: my soul, my spirit, my mind, my body. We’ll see where it leads me right now.
Heavyweight title
“I’m not thinking about any championship belts or anything. My main focus is Francis Ngannou. Realistically, it’s getting through an intense, focused training camp because how I train is how I fight.
“If I get victory in my training camp, I am sure I will get victory on the night. We’ll put the belts on hold because I focus on getting through training camp and getting to the fight successfully.”
Rivals Fury and Oleksandr Usyk face each other for all the belts on February 17. Once that clash is over, the heavyweight titles are expected to split apart.
The WBO and IBF will take some persuading to allow a rematch to occur with the titles remaining intact. This will enable Joshua to fight for the IBF or lobby the WBO for a shot at the vacant straps.
Should Fury and Usyk decide against an immediate return, Joshua would still have the chance to fight for the undisputed crown if the IBF and WBO agree and he can defeat Filip Hrgovic.
