Anthony Joshua's return to the ring is not the same journey it once was. Expectations have shifted, and he knows it. As he gears up for his upcoming fight against Kristian Prenga in Saudi Arabia, the British heavyweight champion has found himself in an unexpected corner of training with Oleksandr Usyk's team. What started as preparation for a fight against a lesser-known opponent now reads more like a dress rehearsal for a larger clash—against his longtime rival, Tyson Fury.
Joshua revealed that Usyk's team urged him to 'show greatness' during their shared training sessions. 'They want to see more,' he said. 'They want to see more, like bring it out.' Usyk's team, known for their elite preparation, had recently trained for his bout with Rico Verhoeven in May. Joshua took note and said it raised the bar for what he needed to deliver.
But the Briton also made it clear that while Usyk's team can prepare, it's ultimately on him to deliver. He insists he's already in a place where he's 'quite good at what I do,' but the message from Usyk's corner was clear: bring more.
Joshua knows that training and fighting are two different beasts. 'You're fighting because you're in such a moment that puts so much pressure on your shoulders.' His goal now is to perform at his best not just when it matters most, but to make it the norm.
That kind of mindset is critical for a fighter like Joshua, who has won 29 of his 33 pro fights, with 26 of those by knockout. But he insists he still has the 'ruthless side' to him. 'That's the name of the game,' he said.
A Fighter, A Mindset, A Moment
In the end, it's about mindset. Joshua said he knows 'what my mind is telling me.' He's ready to face Prenga, ready to fight, and ready to prove that he still has the fire in his belly. 'I just have to make sure I'm victorious.' That mindset, sharpened by training with Usyk's team, may be the one thing that separates him from the competition this time around.