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Ben Davison, the former trainer of WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, is still shocked with his former fighter’s ability to rise up in the twelfth round of his first contest with Deontay Wilder.
The contest, which ended in a controversial twelve round split draw, took place in December 2018.
Fury’s boxing style gave Wilder fits throughout the fight. But, Fury went down in the ninth and twelfth rounds.
When Fury went down in the final round of the fight, the bout appeared to be over as the boxer was laying flat out with no movement.
Everyone assumed the fight was over, but Fury managed to get back to his feet.
“Usually, when somebody gets knocked down some part of the body is moving,” recalls Davison to Daily Mail. “Tyson was completely still. We thought it was all over. I was having a row in the corner when, unbelievably, Tyson gets up.
“It shocked Wilder and Tyson landed a few blows but then dropped his hands behind his back! Ricky Hatton next to me was screaming ‘‘No Tyson! NO!’ People said it was a miracle. Maybe it was but it showed the drive of the man. The only problem was the knockdown cost him the fight. He would have won but for that. We were so proud of him. His brother Shane had tears in his eyes, he picked me up like a baby.
“In the moment you don’t always appreciate it but that performance inspired millions. Where he had come from, what he had come through.”
Fury made things right by stopping Wilder in seven rounds, to capture the WBC title, in February.
But a few weeks before that rematch, Fury made an unexpected decision to part ways with Davison and hired new head trainer SugarHill Steward.
Even with their split, Davison beat Fury to win inside the distance.
“I said he’d beat Wilder in the eighth and he beat him by the seventh,” said Davison.
“I spoke to Tyson beforehand and it was his idea to be more aggressive second time. I didn’t message him straight after. His phone goes crazy after a fight so I left it a few days before leaving a few texts and voice notes.”
A trilogy fight is coming, as Wilder exercised an immediate rematch clause. The third bout is targeted for the fall.
“It will be interesting what adaptations each fighter makes to their style and tactics,” said Davison.
“Wilder is always dangerous with his punching power but Tyson is the more versatile fighter. He can fight on the front foot, at distance, orthodox or southpaw.
“He has a greater arsenal and I’d back his determination to leave a legacy as the best in the world. It’s the ending his journey demands.”