Fabio Wardley has publicly defended trainer Ben Davison against significant criticism following his stablemate Moses Itauma's world heavyweight title defeat on Saturday. Itauma, 21, succumbed to exhaustion in the ninth round against Croatia's Filip Hrgovic.
Davison is reportedly facing scrutiny and may need to discuss Itauma's future with promoter Frank Warren. However, Wardley, who has been trained by Davison for seven years, emphasized Davison's positive impact on his own career, guiding him from white-collar boxing to a world title.
"I just can’t believe so much hostility and so much stick being thrown at Ben," Wardley stated. "He’s been my trainer for seven years and he’s brought me through from my unusual background to winning a world title. He doesn’t become a bad trainer because Moses had his first defeat against a really tough opponent."
Wardley added that Davison has taught him significant boxing nuances beyond raw power, skills he believes are crucial for his upcoming rematch with Daniel Dubois. "Ben is now adding the nuances I never knew anything about so I can adapt for the rematch and win this time."
Promoter Frank Warren acknowledged the need for a discussion with Davison regarding fight strategy. "Ben and I will have to have a chat. Was there a plan B for when Hrgovic simply refused to be knocked out through eight rounds of punishment? Or did Moses not listen, like footballers who go out on the pitch and don’t do what the manager tells them?"
Warren suggested Itauma was overly focused on securing another knockout rather than boxing to a decision. "He was too obsessed with getting another knock out. So he just kept his foot hard down on the accelerator from start to finish and punched himself out."
Despite the loss, Warren expressed confidence in Itauma's potential, stating, "Of course at 21 Moses can come back to be a world champion but there’s work to be done." The question remains whether Davison will be involved in that future work.
