THE MAD AXEMAN
Ben: I knew Tyson’s return was real when he was 26 stone and ran up a mountain .. then just kept going
ROOKIE trainer Ben Davison knew Tyson Fury was serious about his comeback when he had his very own Forrest Gump moment.
The Gypsy King turned to Davison in a last-ditch attempt to salvage his career after ballooning to 28 stone during a two-year drink and drugs binge.
And the inexperienced coach was convinced he wasn’t wasting his time when Fury ran up a mountain – and kept on running just like Tom Hanks’s character.
Davison, who turns 26 today, said: “There were lots of little moments but one that stands out for me was when I asked Tyson to walk up a mountain in Marbella and he ran.
“We were thinking, ‘What is this lunatic doing?’ because he was still 26 stone.
“I thought he would stop after a minute but a minute went by and so I gave him another two minutes and then another five – but he was never stopping. We got to the point where all fighters stop and I said we were finished.
“But Tyson being Tyson kept going to the top of the mountain. That’s when I realised he was a special character.
“He’s got an ego. Even when he was at his biggest he would talk himself into a task.
“He would pick up two big dumbbells and ask me if I thought he could do a certain number of reps. I’d say definitely not but he’d start doing them as if to say, ‘Well just watch me’.
“He puts himself in these situations to show he’s different.”
Davison was in Fury’s corner for his routine wins over Sefer Seferi and Francesco Pianeta.
He insists his man hasn’t bitten off more than he can chew in accepting Saturday’s fight against heavyweight world champion Deontay Wilder.
And he is confident Fury won’t be consumed by the same demons that sent him spiralling out of control after his upset win over Wladimir Klitschko in 2015.
Davison said: “I have to be more than a trainer to Tyson.
“Being friends helps and he knows what was missing in his life during that dark period and knows what he needs to make him happy.
“He needs routine and structure. From the beginning I’ve known that’s what Tyson needs to avoid going back to that dark place. If anyone can do something like this it’s him.
“Obviously it’s a big, tough task but I’m confident in his ability.
“Tyson has a fantastic natural engine – the hardest part was the weight loss. That took its toll on his performances but they were still decent. Now you’ll see a different Tyson – he always rises to the occasion.”
BT Sport Box Office will exclusively show Wilder v Fury on Saturday for £19.95. Visit www.bt.com/sportboxoffice.