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Anthony Joshua never considered walking away.
Not after the darkest chapter of his life. Not after the unimaginable tragedy that left the boxing world reeling and forced him to confront grief far greater than any defeat inside the ring. And certainly not now, as he prepares to step through the ropes for the first time since the car accident that changed everything.
The crash near Lagos, Nigeria, late last year claimed the lives of Joshua’s childhood friends, Sina Ghami and Latif ‘Latz’ Ayodele, both 36. The pair had been part of his inner circle for decades, with Ghami serving as his strength coach and Ayodele as his personal trainer.
On Saturday night, Joshua returns to the ring in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, against Kristian Prenga. It is, in many ways, the beginning of a new chapter.
It is his second fight under Oleksandr Usyk’s team, but the first after a full training camp together and the first real opportunity to showcase the technical improvements those around him insist have transformed his game. And, perhaps most importantly, it represents the first step towards the blockbuster showdown with Tyson Fury that British boxing has craved for years.
But before any of that, Joshua had to decide whether he even wanted to fight again.
That decision was never really a decision at all.
Anthony Joshua is back in action on Saturday when he faces Kristian Prenga in Saudi Arabia
He beat Jake Paul in Miami in December, but within days had lost two friends in a car crash
‘I never considered walking away, because boxing is my purpose,’ Joshua explains ahead of his comeback. ‘It’s not just about competing. Boxing is therapeutic as well. It gives me purpose.
‘As fighters, that’s what it gives us. When I’m boxing, I know I’m where I’m supposed to be. It’s where I’m most comfortable.
‘It gives me direction in life, and that’s why I never really thought about walking away. I’m content. This is where I belong.’
Joshua speaks calmly. There is no bravado, no attempt to create headlines. Instead, there is a noticeable sense of perspective from a man who has spent the past year processing an experience no person should ever have to endure.
He is careful when discussing loss, and even more careful not to make himself the focus of it.
‘Everyone deals with it differently,’ he says. ‘For me, I have to put my own emotions to one side because I focus on the parents.
‘My emotions can come later, but I look at what the mums and dads are going through because that’s what must be hardest.
‘I don’t make it about me. I make it about them. You have to keep your own emotions under control. That’s not how everyone deals with it, but it’s the best way for me. I need to be a good soldier. At the end of the day, it’s not about me. It’s much bigger than me.’
The 36-year-old says he never intended to walk away from boxing because it is his purpose
Another source of strength has come from an unlikely place.
Joshua’s move to train alongside former undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk has inevitably led to questions about technical improvements, but the biggest lesson he has taken from the Ukrainian has nothing to do with slipping punches or throwing combinations.
‘The importance of prayer,’ Joshua says without hesitation while speaking to The Daily Mail in Jeddah. ‘Even if you’re not deeply religious or don’t follow one particular faith, prayer is important. It’s something you can take into every training camp.’
Inside Usyk’s camp, Joshua insists every aspect of his game has evolved, but one lesson stands above the rest.
‘We’d be here all day talking about everything they’ve added to my game.
‘The biggest thing is my relationship with hard work. You can be in one environment and think you’re working hard, then you go into another environment and realise what you thought was hard actually isn’t hard enough. It isn’t good enough.
‘So it’s really changed my relationship with hard work. I want more from myself. I’ve put myself in an environment where I know I’ll get more out of boxing because I’ve given more of myself to boxing. These guys push me harder than I was ever pushed before.’
Those working closest to Joshua believe his defence has improved dramatically since arriving in camp. Watching him spar, they see a more patient, more rounded heavyweight than the explosive Olympic champion who first burst onto the scene over a decade ago.
Saturday offers the first glimpse of whether those improvements translate under the bright lights.
If Joshua comes through against Prenga, attention will inevitably turn to Fury.
The long-awaited Battle of Britain has flirted with becoming reality for years before collapsing at the negotiating table. Now, with both men rebuilding, it feels closer than ever.
Joshua knows Fury will be watching.
Asked what he wants his rival to think after seeing him back in action, Joshua smiles before delivering an answer that perfectly captures the confidence still burning beneath his measured exterior.
‘This guy is a f***ing killer. He’s a beast. He’s strong. He’s quick. He’s got good footwork. He’s got good defence and it’s gonna be hard work trying to beat this guy. That’s what I’d want him to think.’
Yet for all the excitement surrounding a potential meeting with Fury, Joshua refuses to place it above the moments that have already defined his career.
‘It’s a huge fight, but it’s not for a world title, if I’m being completely honest,’ he says.
‘It’s a great achievement if I beat someone like Tyson Fury, but for me, nothing compares to becoming a world champion.
‘You can beat great fighters, but it’s different when you’re beating them to become a world champion.’
In an era where some of boxing’s biggest stars openly question the value of championship belts, Joshua remains unapologetically old school.
He points to changing financial realities, with fighters now earning fortunes outside the traditional title picture, but believes the sport’s history still matters.
‘There’s a lot of talk nowadays about fighters saying belts don’t matter anymore,’ he says. ‘People’s attitudes are changing because there are different opportunities now. But personally, the heritage and history of boxing still means everything to me. You can’t beat becoming a world champion, in my opinion…
‘Unless someone dangles a big enough carrot in front of me… then f*** the belts.’
It draws a laugh, but the message is clear.
For now, Fury can wait. So can championship ambitions.
Joshua’s focus is fixed solely on Prenga and proving that, after everything he has been through, he is still exactly where he believes he belongs.
Back in the ring. Back with purpose. And determined that the next chapter of his career is defined not by the tragedy behind him, but by the fights still to come.
