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The trainer preventing an Anthony Joshua vs Moses Itauma blockbuster
Anthony Joshua vs Moses Itauma in 2026 is one of the biggest fights that can be made in boxing, but one man is preventing it from happening.
Ben Davison is currently the trainer of both men. He has overseen their recent performances, good and bad, and he has been in attendance when the pair have shared gym space together preparing for the next stage in their respective careers.
With Davison out of the equation, Joshua vs Itauma is a fight that does not come around often and the teams involved with both men barring the training staff, would be salivating at the prospect of delivering an epic contest that would see two generations, old and new, put on a showcase event at any British stadium.
Wembley, Cardiff, Tottenham Hotspur, any marquee venue with a recent background in staging the grandest fights in this pulsating modern era, would be in the running for a heavyweight contest that could either be a step too far for a phenomenal talent or the final act of an extraordinary career that began 12 years ago.
Boxing has a cruel history of passing the baton in the heavyweight division where decorated legends, icons of the sport, have been tortured by fresher, younger men. Joshua may not be at the stage where Muhammad Ali was when he faced Larry Holmes, but he could be where Wladimir Klitschko was in 2017, the year he was stopped by the man whose career is now under intense scrutiny.
The IBF champion in 2016, Joshua welcomed Klitschko to Wembley the following year knowing that victory over the respected Ukrainian would legitimise his world title position and also put him on a world level echelon that Tyson Fury occupied after he defeated Klitschko in 2015.
This battle of Olympic gold medallists saw Klitschko possess more knockouts than Joshua had fights. It was a man aiming to elevate his career against a man fighting to save his. In the end, after a terrific battle, one that saw Joshua floored for the first time in his career, the door was firmly slammed on the Klitschko era as Joshua immediately became the face of boxing.
Almost ten years later, Joshua is now enduring a similar problem to the one that bugged his great nemesis heading into their now famous London showdown. After being destroyed by Daniel Dubois last year, Joshua is no longer a leading heavyweight, but could a win over the new kid on the block breathe fire into his ailing career. Not whilst he is trained by Davison.
Undoubtedly one of the biggest fights in world boxing is being prevented from taking place due to Davison's rising popularity and expertise. Itauma and Joshua currently both require his services and whilst that remains the same, the next steps for each fighter will be ones taken without each other, but could that change?
They say money is the root of all evil, but in boxing, it is the ultimate problem solver and there is plenty to be made if Joshua and Itauma collide. A sold-out stadium, PPV blockbuster, global interest, and the opportunity to usher in a new generation spearheaded by Itauma. Everybody involved would be a winner even though the successes for the main victor would be far more beneficial.
Joshua has shown in the past he has no issue moving on from trainers as Robert McCracken, Tony Sims, Robert Garcia, and Derrick James have all been dismissed by the two-time world champion. With his career winding down, would he sacrifice Davison to partake in one more Wembley classic?
Joshua has always put himself first when it comes to his career and it would not be a surprise to see a new face in his corner if it meant an Itauma fight could be made.
For now, it looks like Itauma and Joshua will continue to work alongside each other as they both plot separate fights at different stages of their careers.
Davison is still the trainer of both men, but if he suddenly finds himself not providing a service to one of them, then his background with both could be another narrative to add to potentially one of the biggest fights in British boxing history.
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