Renowned British boxing trainer Don Charles has weighed in on the ultimate domestic heavyweight showdown between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, offering absolute confidence in his pre-fight prediction. Having spent years in the opposite corner to both fighters during some of the biggest nights in modern boxing, Charles brings a uniquely informed perspective to a matchup that continues to captivate the sport’s global fanbase.
While Charles famously masterminded Daniel Dubois’ stunning, career-defining fifth-round stoppage victory over Anthony Joshua in 2024, his historical rivalry with Tyson Fury tells a starkly different story of near-misses and tactical lessons. Over a professional relationship spanning more than a decade, Charles has faced the formidable presence of "The Gypsy King" multiple times, mostly from a losing corner while training British stalwart Derek Chisora.
The tactical chess matches against Fury began in earnest back in 2011. Guiding Chisora as his head coach, Charles watched from the corner as Fury earned a hard-fought, 12-round unanimous decision victory in their first encounter, establishing his dominance on the domestic scene. Three years later, in 2014, the rivalry was renewed with even more punishing consequences for Chisora’s camp. That meeting ended in a tenth-round stoppage defeat, as Fury systematically dismantled the challenger before forcing a corner retirement.
Remarkably, history repeated itself a third time around eight years later in an unlikely trilogy bout that saw Fury once again emerge victorious against a resilient Chisora. It is therefore fair to conclude that across multiple training camps and tactical iterations, Don Charles and his fighters never quite managed to solve the complex tactical puzzle that Tyson Fury presents inside the ring. This deep firsthand familiarity extends to his dealings with unified champion Oleksandr Usyk, as Charles and Dubois similarly fell short across their two separate assignments against the undefeated Ukrainian wizard.
Yet, despite his own tactical frustrations against Fury, Charles maintains a profound respect for the former heavyweight champion. While the veteran trainer places Usyk on a completely different pedestal altogether within the division—acknowledging the unique operational difficulties the Ukrainian brings—he nonetheless awards high praise to Fury for his rare adaptability, ring IQ, and fluid tactical versatility.
Drawing directly from these extensive, hard-earned experiences against the elite tier of heavyweight boxing, Charles recently revealed his definitive pick in an interview with Seconds Out. Looking ahead to a potential blockbuster clash between Fury and Joshua scheduled to take place at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium on December 11, the seasoned coach firmly backs "The Gypsy King" to emerge victorious over his long-time British rival.
Elaborating on his breakdown for Seconds Out, Charles dismissed the idea that the advancing age of both fighters or the accumulated wear and tear from their legendary careers would diminish the spectacle. Instead, he believes the maturity and experience of both men will only add to the strategic intrigue of the bout, making the outcome even clearer in his mind than it might have been during their primes half a decade ago.
"Irrespective of how old they have become, and how many miles they’ve got on the clock, we’re still going to get a good fight in my opinion," Charles explained during his interview. "It’s even more clear to me now than it would’ve been five [or] six years ago… I’ve always leaned towards Tyson Fury. With the exception of Usyk, he’s the one who’s like a chameleon — he can change colours in front of you."
This chameleon-like ability to shift styles, absorb pressure, and neutralize an opponent’s strengths has long been the hallmark of Fury’s storied career, allowing him to navigate diverse threats ranging from heavy-handed punchers to elusive boxers. Charles believes that this inherent tactical fluidity will ultimately prove to be the decisive factor should the bout against Joshua come to fruition in the Welsh capital.
Further compounding Charles’ confidence in a Fury victory is the recent trajectory and defensive vulnerabilities displayed in Anthony Joshua’s latest ring outings. Joshua’s most recent performance resulted in a hard-fought second-round finish over Kristian Prenga, a bout that notably saw the former two-time unified champion forced to navigate severe adversity after being sent to the canvas twice before turning the tide. For a trainer of Charles’ analytical pedigree, such defensive lapses and susceptibility to early turbulence highlight the exact vulnerabilities that a veteran tactician like Fury is uniquely equipped to exploit over the course of a high-stakes heavyweight contest.
