I’ve been through a lot of pain – Joshua

Anthony Joshua says he has “been through a lot of pain” over the past two years as he bids to become a three-time world champion against fellow British heavyweight Daniel Dubois on Saturday.

The 34-year-old will take on IBF belt-holder Dubois, 27, in front of a post-war British record 96,000 fans at Wembley Stadium.

Joshua has rebuilt and worked his way back to mandatory challenger position having broken down in tears after losing a second consecutive fight to Oleksandr Usyk in August 2022.

“I’ve worked hard and been through a lot of pain, and I’ve worked hard to get better,” he told BBC Sport.

“Hopefully those experiences won’t happen again because as you saw that night, I don’t like losing.”

The 2012 Olympic gold medallist is on a four-fight winning streak and brutally knocked out Francis Ngannou in his last outing.

“I think I’m gifted with an ability to fight and compete,” Joshua said. “In boxing you’re able to read certain tendencies, you’re able to read your opponent, so I can always have an eye for that.

“But there’s a supreme level that you can take it to. And it’s happened over the past eight or 10 months. I’ve really honed in on those skills.”