A relaxed Anthony Joshua laughed with reporters, thanked fans for making the trip and even encouraged a sizeable Albanian contingent to bring their "energy" for the British heavyweight's comeback fight in Saudi Arabia on Saturday.

🌐 Here's What Happened

Joshua, 36, faces Albanian puncher Kristian Prenga in his first fight since the car crash in Nigeria last December which claimed the lives of two of his closest friends and members of his team, Sina Ghami and Latif 'Latz' Ayodele.

Victory would move Joshua to the brink of an all-British heavyweight showdown with Tyson Fury, as long as 'The Gypsy King' also wins his warm-up fight against Mariusz Wach in Thailand on Friday.

"We've been working since January, working hard, keeping my head down and aligning all my stars," Joshua said at Thursday's news conference in Jeddah.

📌 Key Details

"I'm fully focused. I understand there's a big picture. The goal is to conquer the universe, right? But first we must conquer Earth. And this is my target here."

The Watford fighter stopped Youtuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in Miami just 10 days before the fatal crash.

But Joshua has not beaten an established heavyweight since getting the better of Otto Wallin in December 2023.

Prenga, now based in New Jersey, has won 20 pro bouts by knockout and lost once, but the 35-year-old has not faced anyone close to Joshua's level.

His manager Keith Sullivan described the contest as a "real-life Rocky moment", while Prenga predicted he would win by knockout.

Joshua smiled when asked whether he believed that was possible.

📰 Source: BBC Africa