Anthony Joshua shut down talk of Tyson Fury and insisted there is ‘no future’ beyond Saturday night unless he first gets the job done against Kristian Prenga in Jeddah.
The long-awaited Battle of Britain showdown with Fury is edging ever closer, with both heavyweights taking interim bouts this weekend before an expected blockbuster collision later this year.
Fury boxes Mariusz Wach in Thailand on Friday before Joshua makes his return against the heavy-hitting Albanian less than 24 hours later.
But despite the frenzy surrounding what could finally become one of British boxing’s biggest-ever fights, Joshua made it clear he has no interest in looking past the man standing across the ring from him.
‘Look, respect my opponent here,’ Joshua said when questions during Thursday’s press conference turned towards 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.
Anthony Joshua (left) is refusing to entertain talk of a clash with Tyson Fury ahead of his comeback fight
‘We have been working since January, working hard, keeping my head down, aligned all my stars and I am fully focused.’
Joshua acknowledged the excitement surrounding what could await him if he comes through unscathed, but stressed that those conversations count for nothing unless he delivers in Saudi Arabia.
‘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.’
It is a mindset forged by the toughest period of his life.
Saturday marks Joshua’s first appearance since stopping Jake Paul in Miami last December, just days before tragedy struck when close friends Latif ‘Latz’ Ayodele and Sina Ghami were killed in a car accident in Nigeria.
The devastating loss forced Joshua away from boxing as he grieved, with serious doubts over whether he would ever fight again.
Instead, he eventually returned to training and rebuilt towards what could become the defining final chapter of his career.
Victory over Prenga is expected to pave the way for the fight fans have demanded for more than a decade, but Joshua insists he cannot afford to think beyond the immediate task.
Fury (pictured) and Joshua are expected to clash this year but must first both win this weekend
‘When you speak to me about what may lay ahead or I sit down in an office with Eddie (Hearn) and he presents to me what may lay ahead, it is a great opportunity for me to understand where this checkpoint takes me and what it leads me on to,’ Joshua said.
‘The reality of the matter is there is no universe, there is no future unless I get past this checkpoint on Saturday night.’
Prenga arrives in Jeddah with 20 knockouts to his name, although the Albanian has never shared the ring with an opponent anywhere near Joshua’s calibre.
For the 35-year-old, however, Saturday represents the opportunity he has spent a lifetime chasing.
‘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 said.
