Anthony Joshua has revealed a more aggressive mindset ahead of his long-awaited heavyweight showdown with Tyson Fury, insisting that he intends to turn the doubts surrounding him into motivation when the two British stars finally meet in the ring.
Joshua and Fury are scheduled to settle their long-running rivalry on December 11 at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, with the blockbuster all-British contest expected to attract worldwide attention.
For Joshua, however, the fight has become about more than simply adding another victory to his professional record.
The former two-time heavyweight world champion believes there are people around the sport who would prefer to see him lose, and he has made it clear that such perceptions are only increasing his determination.
Joshua was particularly blunt when asked whether he believed some of the people involved in organising the event wanted Fury to win.
“Yes. I believe that,” he said.
Rather than allowing the feeling to distract him, Joshua said he planned to use it as fuel during his preparation.
“If you want to see me lose, I will fight even harder,” was the essence of his message as he described the mentality he intends to carry into the biggest fight of his career.
The 36-year-old has endured a difficult period in the ring, including two defeats to Oleksandr Usyk in 2024, before rebuilding his momentum with victories over Jake Paul and Kristian Prenga.
His latest challenge is considerably more demanding.
Fury, another former world heavyweight champion, has repeatedly dismissed Joshua’s chances and has already predicted that he will stop his rival inside seven rounds.
The Gypsy King has also promised to abandon a cautious approach and take the fight directly to Joshua, describing the contest as a potential all-out exchange.
Joshua, however, has welcomed the confidence coming from Fury’s camp.
Rather than becoming consumed by the predictions, he has focused on what he believes he can control: his preparation, his mentality and his execution on fight night.
Joshua has also reunited with trainer Ben Davison, who previously worked with Fury. The decision has added another intriguing layer to the rivalry, particularly because Davison knows Fury’s approach and habits from his time in the former champion’s camp.
Joshua has insisted that his decision was not simply based on Davison’s previous relationship with Fury.
Instead, he believes Davison and his team can identify weaknesses in his own game and help him correct them before the biggest test of his career.
The British-Nigerian has also spoken with Peter Fury, Tyson’s uncle and former trainer, as part of his preparations.
But Joshua has stressed that the responsibility ultimately remains with him.
The fight itself has already overcome several obstacles before finally being confirmed for Cardiff. Joshua had pushed strongly for the contest to take place in the United Kingdom, particularly because of the importance of the fight to British boxing fans.
That wish was eventually granted, with the Principality Stadium selected as the venue.
Joshua has repeatedly said that fighting Fury in Britain matters to him because of the supporters who have followed both men’s careers for years.
The significance of the contest is difficult to ignore.
Both fighters have held world heavyweight titles and spent years being regarded as two of the defining figures of their generation. Yet despite repeated negotiations, the fight never materialised until now.
Joshua is therefore approaching the contest with an understanding that opportunities of this magnitude do not come around often.
He has already predicted that he wants to win by knockout, even suggesting that the fight could end in the opening round.
Fury, meanwhile, has promised to meet him in the middle of the ring and has talked openly about stopping Joshua himself.
That combination of confidence and aggression has created an atmosphere of genuine anticipation around the December showdown.
Yet Joshua has insisted that his career will not be defined by one night.
Despite the setbacks he has experienced, he believes there is still more to achieve and has rejected any suggestion that a defeat to Fury would bring his journey to an end.
The former champion now faces perhaps the most psychologically demanding fight of his career.
For years, Joshua and Fury have been discussed as the two British heavyweights who should have met at the peak of their powers. Now that the fight is finally happening, Joshua appears determined to ensure that he arrives in Cardiff not carrying the weight of his past defeats, but using them as lessons.
The final test will come when the bell rings.
Until then, Joshua’s message is clear: the criticism, doubts and pressure surrounding the fight are not weakening his resolve. He intends to turn all of them into fuel for what could become one of the defining nights of his career.
