No limit to Josh Taylor's potential, says new trainer Ben Davison

Ben Davison does not come across as particularly brash or conceited but, having previously helped facilitate the resurrection of Tyson Fury, the 27-year-old evidently has something about him as a trainer.

His split with Fury at the end of last year was a painful episode but worked out perfectly for Josh Taylor who is now benefiting from Davison’s careful guidance every day inside Ricky Hatton’s gym in Manchester.

The Prestonpans fighter is already well on his way to greatness with two world titles to his name but, given his burning desire to go on to become the undisputed king of the super-lightweight division, anything Davison can add at this point could make a significant difference.

Already there is a three-step plan in place. The first is for Taylor to successfully retain his IBF and WBA belts against mandatory challenger Apinun Khongsong at the Hydro in Glasgow on May 2.

The second is for him to then fix a date with Jose Ramirez with a view to winning the American’s WBO and WBC belts to unite the division, while part three would see the 29 year-old – two years Davison’s senior – move up to welterweight where mouth-watering contests against the likes of Terence Crawford or Errol Spence could lie in wait.

Davison will do what he can to make all of that a reality. “I believe the Ramirez fight for Josh to unify the division is a good one for him stylistically,” he said.

“I believe for him to step up in weight and be more effective at the weight above, which is what we want to do after unifying this division, there will have to be some work put in physically.

“Ricky Hatton was a monster at light-welterweight but not quite as effective at welterweight. Josh has got the frame but he would have to add to that frame to be as effective at that weight.

“You are up against bigger men so it comes down to the IQ as well. Josh has been able to physically dominate his opponents at this weight, but, at welterweight, he will have to be able to nullify them a little better and know when to nullify them and when to use his physicality.

“It is about developing all-round, really, but you cannot see the ceiling for his potential at the minute. I can’t anyway.”

Davison’s attention to detail is what makes him such a good trainer, spotting things in potential opponents and in his own fighters that they might not be even aware of.

“I spend a lot of time studying fights,” he said. “I made a note to myself that I wouldn’t watch a fight without a pen and a notepad - just to be able to stop fights, wind them back, note down what happened and have reference points.

“If I am watching opponents, I can send over details to Josh, for example, to let him know why we worked on things.

“It just helps fighters understand the reasons why I am doing things, why I need to be doing them that way and why they will work. It helps those things be cemented in the fighters’ minds.”

Statistical analysis is not yet as prevalent in boxing as it is in many other sports but Davison swears by sweating the numbers.

“You can’t read everything from stats but they can show some things,” he said. “When you get a fighter with a bit of an ego, you’ll hear, ‘you can’t teach me how to throw a jab or this or that’.

“But when you can show examples and say, ‘this is why it works when you do this’ then it can change things.

“There is obviously talk of Billy Joe [Saunders] fighting Canelo. Why was [Floyd] Mayweather so successful against him? What did he do to break Canelo down in the fashion that he did?

“When you can explain it and have that knowledge, it is important. It is all right saying Mayweather was too good for him, but can you tell me why? And I can tell you why. That’s my job. That’s the important part.

“I can’t implement that like the fighters can. That’s why I am the coach and not the fighter. Everybody plays their part. It is the fighter that has to go out and do it, though.”