Anthony Joshua is set to return to the boxing ring for the first time since a tragic car accident claimed the lives of two of his closest friends. The accident, which occurred late last year near Lagos, Nigeria, resulted in the deaths of Sina Ghami and Latif 'Latz' Ayodele, both 36, who were part of Joshua's inner circle and served as his strength coach and personal trainer, respectively.
Joshua is scheduled to fight Kristian Prenga on Saturday in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. This marks his second bout under Oleksandr Usyk's team, but it is his first following a complete training camp together and presents an opportunity to demonstrate technical advancements. For the boxing world, this return also moves closer to a highly anticipated showdown with Tyson Fury.
Despite the profound grief, Joshua stated he never contemplated leaving boxing. "I never considered walking away, because boxing is my purpose," Joshua explained. "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 approached his grief with a focus on the families affected. "Everyone deals with it differently," he said. "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."
Joshua also highlighted the influence of training alongside Oleksandr Usyk, particularly the importance of prayer. "The importance of prayer," Joshua stated. "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."
He described a significant evolution in his approach to hard work, stating, "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 close to Joshua believe his defense has notably improved, portraying him as a more patient and well-rounded heavyweight. The fight against Prenga will be the first public test of these perceived enhancements.
Should Joshua win, attention will likely shift to a potential bout with Tyson Fury. While acknowledging the significance of such a fight, Joshua maintained that becoming a world champion remains his ultimate career aspiration. "It's a huge fight, but it's not for a world title, if I'm being completely honest," he said. "It's a great achievement if I beat someone like Tyson Fury, but for me, nothing compares to becoming a world champion."
Joshua expressed a continued respect for the historical significance of championship belts in boxing, despite evolving financial landscapes for fighters. "There's a lot of talk nowadays about fighters saying belts don't matter anymore," he noted. "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."
For the immediate future, Joshua's focus is on his upcoming opponent, Prenga, and demonstrating that he remains in the place he believes he belongs: back in the ring, with renewed purpose and a determination to define his career by future fights.