Anthony Joshua confirms split with trainer; to join Usyk’s team for Jake Paul fight

Former two-time heavyweight boxing champion, Anthony Joshua has announced a major shake-up in his training camp, revealing he has split from his current coach and will now be working with the team behind his rival, reigning world champion Oleksandr Usyk, ahead of his upcoming clash with Jake Paul.

The surprise announcement came during the press conference for his December 19 fight against Paul in Miami, which will stream live on Netflix. When asked if he was still being trained by Ben Davison, Joshua confirmed the split, explaining that he felt London was “a bit distracting.”

“No, I won’t be trained by Ben Davison,” AJ revealed. “I was invited to train with Team Usyk. I’ve been in Spain, we’ve been doing some good training, and I think he’s one of the best in the world… Not I think, he is one of the best in the world.”

Joshua, who was defeated twice by Usyk in 2021 and 2022, is now seeking insight from the very camp that handed him those losses. He noted that the quality comes not just from Usyk, but also the team around him.

“Getting an insight into how someone who’s achieved so much has been phenomenal, it’s been a great experience and very challenging,” he said, confirming he has been with them for “a couple months now.” While he is training with Usyk’s team, he confirmed he is not sparring with the Ukrainian champion, who is training elsewhere.

The December 19 bout will mark Joshua’s return to the ring 15 months after his KO defeat to Daniel Dubois.

When asked for his thoughts on Joshua’s major camp change, opponent Jake Paul appeared unfazed. “It’s great. I mean, obviously, he’s training with the best in the world. He’s one of the best heavyweights in the world, we expect nothing less, and I want the best version of Anthony Joshua on December 19,” Paul said.

“It’s going to be the best version of Jake Paul that you’ve seen, and we’ll see who’s better.”

Despite Paul’s confidence, the first face-off between the two highlighted a colossal size difference that has left many boxing fans worried for the YouTuber-turned-boxer. Joshua is five inches taller, 50lbs heavier, and has a six-inch reach advantage over Paul. One concerned fan commented on social media, “It’s over for him,” while another predicted, “Joshua is going to give him serious damage.”

The undercard for the event was also announced, featuring a clash between UFC legends Anderson Silva and Tyron Woodley, with Alycia Baumgardner fighting Leila Beaudoin for multiple super featherweight titles in the co-main event