Anthony Joshua says he has never taken a pre-fight camp more seriously than the build-up to his meeting with Jermaine Franklin.
Joshua returns to the ring on April 1 at the O2 Arena for the first time since a second straight loss to Oleksandr Usyk back in August.
Ahead of his 28th professional fight, Joshua said: “This is the most serious time I’ve taken it in terms of food, sleep, the way I’m training.
“I’ve had to get rid of a lot of distractions in my life to put my heart into the game. I made a conscious decision to put my heart into boxing and nothing else. I’ve definitely got that fire.”
Critics have questioned Joshua’s future in the sport after the double Usyk defeat and the previous loss to Andy Ruiz Jr.
And Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn readily admitted this latest fight was “perhaps the most important chapter in his unbelievable career” as a stepping stone to rebuilding his career and a return to the top of the heavyweight division.
Joshua is being guided by a new trainer in Derrick James, the pair having worked together for the past three months in the United States.
The 33-year-old Briton said he still believed he had a long future in the sport. “I still feel fresh and young, not like a seasoned pro,” he said. “I’ve got to make the most of it while I’m here. It’s just a blessing to be involved in this sport.”
Meanwhile, the relatively unheralded Franklin, who took Dillian Whyte the distance in his previous fight, has insisted that he backs himself to cause an upset.
The American said: “I’ve always been confident in myself. I never lacked for any confidence. I believe I can beat anybody. There’s never a doubt in my mind. If you doubt yourself you’re in the wrong sport. He bleed just like I do.”
