Anthony Joshua is preparing for his high-profile fight with Jake Paul, a bout that has sparked questions over his legacy. But speaking ahead of the fight, he comes across less as a heavyweight chasing relevance and more as one determined to take back control of his career. 

In an interview with Daily Mail Sport, Joshua opens up about where he has gone wrong in recent years, the pain he has carried, how he has learned to deal with defeat, the lessons from training with Usyk’s team and what he really meant when he talked about ‘killing’ Jake Paul in the ring.

As for Friday night’s bout in Miami, there is no attempt from Joshua to pretend it is about Jake Paul alone. He makes it clear that his preparation is focused on bigger goals than the YouTuber-turned-boxer standing across from him, and when the conversation turns to potential future opponents, he shuts one door firmly. 

‘Forget Tyson. I don’t like that guy. Also, Tyson doesn’t need to worry about my opinion and what I am saying [in regards to his comments on killing his opponents in the ring]. He needs to focus on himself. Tyson’s a hater.’ 

It is not said for effect, nor does it feel like promotion. For now, Fury is irrelevant to Joshua’s internal rebuild – though that indifference may not last. With plans quietly taking shape for a September showdown, the New Year could yet drag Fury back into Joshua’s line of sight. 

Nevertheless, AJ’s rebuild has been necessary because, by his own admission, something slipped. The former two-time unified heavyweight champion speaks candidly about the years where boxing stopped being the sole focus. 

Anthony Joshua has pin pointed exactly where he has gone wrong over the last few years

Anthony Joshua has pin pointed exactly where he has gone wrong over the last few years 

The Olympic gold medallist will face YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul on Friday night

The Olympic gold medallist will face YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul on Friday night

The fight on Friday night will be Joshua's first since he was beaten by Daniel Dubois last year

The fight on Friday night will be Joshua’s first since he was beaten by Daniel Dubois last year

‘I went off track for a few years. I was doing a lot of stuff outside of boxing. I was recently watching a Mike Tyson video and Cus D’Amato goes ‘your mind’s not on your work, something is distracting you’. 

‘He said that to Tyson and then I said to my team that’s it. I’ve been too distracted and that’s when I shut down all the businesses. I said I am devoting myself to the fight game again. My mind was just filled with pain and now I’m just wanting to win. I’ve just put my mind fully back in boxing.’

The pain he describes has not disappeared; it has changed shape. Where it once stemmed from distraction, doubt and defeat, it is now sharper, more controlled, and aimed squarely at the work in front of him.

‘My mind is filled with a different kind of pain. Just the stuff I want to do to my opponents. I want to compete. I want to fight. I want you to hit me. Then, I am going to hit you back 10 times harder. 

‘I just want to compete and that’s where my mind is. I’m not going to the gym on the phone, thinking about did this VAT bill get paid? Has the rota been done? Has this employee’s contract been done? I’m not thinking about that stuff. 

‘I’m thinking about how can I beat up my sparring partner? How can I look good? How can I hit the bag today? You have to really think about how you’re going to do it. You can’t just go through the motions. In training, you can’t just rock up to training without thinking about how you want to perform. It takes a lot of mental preparation and my mind is fully on the job again.’

That mental reset has coincided with an unlikely alliance: Joshua training alongside members of Oleksandr Usyk’s team, the very camp that twice dismantled him in the ring. Instead of resentment, Joshua found revelation. 

‘The biggest change, it’s prayer. I’ve been praying a lot more. Whether you call that visualisation affirmations or praying, it’s self talk, expressing what you want out of life and so on. The body can only do what the mind thinks. So, now that I feel positive through prayer and thoughts, I’ve definitely improved my skill set. Definitely.’

Joshua has teamed up with Usyk's team for the fight with Paul as well as future fights

Joshua has teamed up with Usyk’s team for the fight with Paul as well as future fights

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It is a softer explanation than some might expect from a heavyweight, but Joshua insists the shift has hardened him where it matters. He is calmer, clearer, and far less concerned with outside judgment, even as critics question what this fight does to his standing in boxing history. 

His response is firm, almost philosophical. ‘I respect it, as I said, that’s for them to forge their own opinions. I respect their opinion. I don’t live by their standards. Come into my world. I live by my own standard.’

That attitude extends to how much of himself he is willing to give away. At one point, Joshua planned to fight in Saudi Arabia, avoid the press entirely, and simply turn up, gloved and ready to feature on the David Benavidez vs Anthony Yarde undercard. 

The glare of constant exposure had begun to wear thin. ‘It’s definitely about balance now. I was at the point where I just felt like, let’s just get in there and fight. I just want to fight. I don’t want to do all the media and do all the other stuff. I just want to fight. 

‘That’s the great thing about His Excellency, he has the power and control to do what he likes. So, I spoke to him and he understood it. He was like yeah I’ll do that for you. So, yeah, that was a great opportunity but now I am doing this. Imagine, now I’ve got to do all this media, it’s the complete opposite. It’s crazy, but yeah I’ve got to be ready for anything and I always am.’

Readiness, for Joshua, now includes embracing the hostility that comes with being one of boxing’s most recognisable figures. He knows some want to see him fail. 

‘I feel like in boxing, you get a big following and you get on the biggest stage and then they want you to embarrass yourself and they want you to fold. They want to see you crumble. But no, that’s not me. Grab my highs and never let success kick to your head and never let failures get to your heart.’

Failure, once devastating, has been reframed. Loss no longer defines him; it educates him. ‘When I think about defeat now, I just remember that Muhammed Ali lost, Mike Tyson lost, and they’re still legends of the game, so if AJ loses, so what you know? I mean, it doesn’t really bother me. I thought, just keep going.’

Joshua has described Joshua as a 'hater' and said to 'forget about him' when asked about who he could potentially face in the future

Joshua has described Joshua as a ‘hater’ and said to ‘forget about him’ when asked about who he could potentially face in the future

That perspective is crucial as he approaches a fight framed more as spectacle than sporting necessity. His words about ‘killing’ Jake Paul raised eyebrows, and Joshua is keen to explain what he meant and what he did not. 

‘It’s the sport. When I say about killing Jake Paul, I’m not talking about down the alleyway and robbing his chain. I’m talking about, I want to get in the ring and compete. 

‘We’re in that type of industry where we can actually physically harm someone and it’s legal, that’s what we sign up for. But there’s a lot of respect. There are two men, coming to the table to do a great thing by putting boxing to the forefront of everyone’s lips, and, yeah, the pulling chain and all that stuff is a bit of fun. I don’t take it personally. But, in terms of wanting to hurt him… I swear it’s what is in my heart. I can’t lie to you. It is what it is.’