Anthony Joshua has returned to trainer Ben Davison for his heavyweight super-fight with Tyson Fury in December.

Davison has the unique distinction of having trained both Joshua and Fury. The trainer, who has also coached Fabio Wardley and Moses Itauma among others, helped Fury in his comeback from a long hiatus from the sport, an unbeaten run that included his first fight with Deontay Wilder in 2018.

More recently Davison has worked with Joshua, though AJ left and brought in trainers from Oleksandr Usyk’s camp for his last two fights.

Now Joshua has reunited with Davison, who will for the first time in a fight be in the opposite corner to Fury. That has led to Fury branding him a “traitor”.

Eddie Hearn, Joshua’s promoter, revealed that AJ has maintained his links with Davison even as he changed training teams and hasn’t brought him back specifically to target Fury.

“Ben’s a great trainer. Even in the last fight and the one before, he was always working with Ben Davison behind the scenes,” Hearn told Sky Sports News.

“Obviously, Ben Davison knows Tyson Fury pretty well as well. I don’t think that’s the defining reason. But AJ just felt it would be a good addition to the camp.

“So, he’ll be the head trainer going into this fight. He’s still working with Usyk’s team and those guys as well.”

Since Rob McCracken Joshua has had a succession of different head trainers, employing Robert Garcia then Derrick James before teaming up with Davison and then Iegor Golub from Usyk’s team.

But promoter Hearn insists that it doesn’t mean Joshua’s corner is unsettled.

“I think AJ knows where he is, but I don’t think he’s going to start changing things around. He just wants to tweak things and get things right from a strategy perspective,” Hearn said.

“He knows what he needs to do. And ultimately, that’s land one straight on his chin and knock him spark out. That’s the game plan.

“And we’ve got to find a way to do it efficiently and correctly. And he’ll do that studiously with Ben Davison and the team.”

Nelson ‘surprised’ at Davison decision

Former world champion and Sky Sports boxing expert Johnny Nelson believes Joshua’s decision to return to Davison will raise questions.

“Ben’s come under a lot of criticism and stick more recently for his charge over a couple of other fighters,” Nelson told Sky Sports News.

“Obviously AJ feels comfortable with whatever message Ben Davison is bringing to him. I think I saw Tyson and Shane [Fury] walking past and calling him a traitor, and he had a little smile on him.

“I’m just surprised, but this is his choice.

“I don’t agree with fighters chopping and changing trainers all the time, because you need to feel that you create a relationship, a trust, a belief in your coach.

“If he says jump, you don’t say how high, you just jump, and so I struggle to understand the chopping and changing.

“But this is AJ’s call, he’s obviously done it for a reason. It’ll be interesting.”

Kimi Antonelli was fastest from Max Verstappen in final practice for the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia to set up a Mercedes versus Red Bull fight for pole position.

Antonelli, who leads the Drivers’ Championship by 66 points from his Mercedes team-mate George Russell, struggled on Friday but was 0.278s quicker than Verstappen.

Verstappen’s Red Bull team-mate Isack Hadjar took third ahead of Russell fourth but both drivers were more than half a second behind Antonelli, who appears to have found a nice rhythm in time for qualifying later on Saturday at 9am, live on Sky Sports F1, at the Sepang International Circuit.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc topped second practice but was seven tenths back in fifth while his team-mate Lewis Hamilton was sixth, despite providing positive feedback following his final practice lap.

McLaren appeared to be out of contention for pole as Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were seventh and eighth, although the fact Norris’ best lap was done on the mediums suggested they retain room for improvement.

Tyres are a major talking point this weekend due to the extremely rough track surface coupled with the high temperatures and humidity as F1 races in Malaysia for the first time since 2017, with the country having stepped in

Alpine’s Franco Colapinto, who has a combined 15-grid place penalty for causing a collision last weekend in Baku and taking a new engine in Sepang, was ninth in final practice and Racing Bulls’ Arvid Lindblad was 10th.

There was a brief red flag after a piece of debris got stuck on Oliver Bearman’s Haas after falling onto the circuit at Turn 10, seeing the session momentarily stopped to allow for a marshal to collect it.

More to follow…

Sky Sports F1’s live schedule Bahrain GP in Malaysia

Saturday October 3
8am: Bahrain GP Qualifying build-up*
9am: BAHRAIN GP QUALIFYING*

Sunday October 4
6.30am: Grand Prix Sunday: Bahrain GP build-up*
8am: THE BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX*
10am: Chequered Flag: Bahrain GP reaction*

*also on Sky Sports Main Event

Formula 1 is in Malaysia for the first time since 2017 as it hosts the Bahrain Grand Prix at the Sepang International Circuit – watch Sunday’s race at 8am (build-up from 6.30am), live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports with NOW – no contract, cancel anytime