Anthony Joshua has made it clear that his attention is solely on his comeback fight against Kristian Prenga this Saturday in Jeddah, pushing aside any discussions about a potential future bout with Tyson Fury.
"Respect my opponent here," Joshua stated during a press conference when questioned about the highly anticipated clash with Fury. "We don't want to talk about Tyson Fury. Respectfully, I have done all the media that I can about what the future holds but you know our focus is him and his team."
The "Battle of Britain" showdown between Joshua and Fury has been speculated for years, with both fighters scheduled to take interim bouts this weekend. Fury is set to fight Mariusz Wach in Thailand on Friday, while Joshua faces the Albanian heavyweight the following day.
Joshua acknowledged the public's excitement for a potential fight with Fury, but emphasized that such conversations are secondary to his immediate challenge. "I understand there is a big picture. The goal is to conquer the universe, right? But first we must conquer earth. My target is here," Joshua said, likening the current situation to a checkpoint.
This focused mindset comes after a difficult period for Joshua, which included the tragic deaths of close friends Latif 'Latz' Ayodele and Sina Ghami in a car accident in Nigeria last December, shortly after his win against Jake Paul. The loss led to doubts about his return to boxing, but he eventually resumed training.
Prenga, who boasts 20 knockouts, enters the bout seeking the biggest opportunity of his career. "I work all my life for this, I waited all my life for this and I hope I am going to show the world on Saturday who I am," Prenga commented.
Joshua stressed that regardless of future opportunities presented by his promoter Eddie Hearn, his performance on Saturday is paramount. "The reality of the matter is there is no universe, there is no future unless I get past this checkpoint on Saturday night."