Former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua is keen to show he's still got what it takes to return to the top of the division when he fights Kristian Prenga in Jeddah on Saturday (July 25).
Joshua, 36, last entered the ring in December 2025 in a highly publicized bout against YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul, giving the American influencer a broken jaw and a reality check with a savage sixth-round knockout.
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Just ten days later, however, Joshua survived a fatal car crash in Nigeria which claimed the lives of two of his closest friends and team members.
"We've been working since January, keeping my head down, aligning all my stars. And I'm fully focused," Joshua told a press conference on Thursday (July 23).
Fans feared the near-death experience might spell the end of Joshua's boxing career but the former unified champion still believes he can win back his belts.
"The goal is to conquer the universe, right?" Joshua told a press conference in Saudi Arabia's second city on Thursday.
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The fight against Albania's Prenga has been billed as a tune-up bout for a potential blockbuster clash with Tyson Fury later in the year, a long-awaited showdown that would pit the two best British heavyweights of their generation against each other.
Joshua and Prenga both made the weight on Friday.
Fury, 37, is himself taking on Polish gatekeeper Mariusz Wach in a low-key, closed-door fight in Thailand on Friday (July 24).
"I'm motivated, I'm passionate, and I just want to show myself how good I am," Joshua said ahead of the fight dubbed 'The Comeback' by broadcaster DAZN.
"Ultimately, the reality of the matter is there is no future unless I get past this checkpoint on Saturday night," Joshua added, addressing the prospect of reconquering a heavyweight division blown open by lineal champion Oleksandr Usyk's decision to vacate his WBC, WBA and IBF belts.
Joshua has not fought an established heavyweight contender since suffering a knockout loss to Daniel Dubois in September 2024.
The 2012 Olympic gold medalist's last win in a standard professional boxing bout came against Otto Walin in December 2023 and he has not held a belt since surrendering his titles to Ukraine's Usyk in 2021.
Joshua has now teamed up with his former rival, training with Usyk's camp since late 2025.
Speaking to Reuters after the press conference, Joshua credited his love of the sport for fueling his comeback.
"I'm young and I still feel I have the energy for it. I enjoy my work," said Joshua. "I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for boxing."
(Camera and editing: Mohammed Benmansour. Production and writing: Conal Quinn)