Anthony Joshua says he has “been through a lot of pain” over the past two years as he bids to become a three-time world champion against fellow British heavyweight Daniel Dubois on Saturday.
The 34-year-old will take on IBF belt-holder Dubois, 27, in front of a post-war British record 96,000 fans at Wembley Stadium.
Joshua has rebuilt and worked his way back to mandatory challenger position having broken down in tears after losing a second consecutive fight to Oleksandr Usyk in August 2022.
“I’ve worked hard and been through a lot of pain, and I’ve worked hard to get better,” he told BBC Sport.
“Hopefully those experiences won’t happen again because as you saw that night, I don’t like losing.”
The 2012 Olympic gold medallist is on a four-fight winning streak and brutally knocked out Francis Ngannou in his last outing.
“I think I’m gifted with an ability to fight and compete,” Joshua said. “In boxing you’re able to read certain tendencies, you’re able to read your opponent, so I can always have an eye for that.
“But there’s a supreme level that you can take it to. And it’s happened over the past eight or 10 months. I’ve really honed in on those skills.”
‘I was saying stay in your lane’
Joshua and Dubois posed for a face-to-face at Monday’s media day in London’s stylish Old Billingsgate venue, with Tower Bridge providing an iconic backdrop, to kick off fight week.
The more experienced Joshua – who will headline a UK stadium fight for the sixth time – relaxed into his press commitments throughout the day.
After a menacing stare-down, Joshua headed towards a crowd and posed for photos, even agreeing to a request for a hug from a fan.
Meanwhile, a pensive Dubois appeared a little eager to get the media formalities out of the way.
It was their first meeting since a news conference in June, when a behind-closed-doors face-off earlier in the day resulted in Joshua threatening to throw a chair at Dubois.
“I was just basically saying ‘stay in your lane’. I don’t expect respect from him but I’m ready to earn my respect from him,” Joshua reflected on the confrontation.
Joshua has the opportunity to join heavyweight legends Muhammad Ali, Lennox Lewis, Evander Holyfield and Vitali Klitschko in becoming a three-time world champion.
The long-awaited fight with Tyson Fury might also be on the horizon, but Joshua is refusing to overlook the hard-hitting Dubois.
“He is a good fighter, a brilliant fighter,” Joshua said. “Everyone speaks highly of him. I think they underestimate me as well, so I will go out there and prove how good I am.”
