ANTHONY JOSHUA BIG FIGHT DIARY: I’M ON A ROLL AND COULD FACE OLEKSANDR USYK AGAIN BEFORE TYSON FURY

They say 13 is unlucky for some but that’s not the way I see it ahead of my 13th world title fight.

I’ve had some knocks along the way but I feel fresh and on a roll in this latest chapter of my fight life. I’ve won four heavyweight fights in a row and I’ll make that five on Saturday night.

I’m 34 and yet I still feel young, still feel I’m improving and still feel I’ll succeed in my shot to get back to the very pinnacle of the sport with all the belts in my possession.

I never underestimate the challenge in front of me and that’s no different with Daniel Dubois. He’s had some big wins, can hit hard and has had some setbacks too — that’s just heavyweight boxing.

I’ve felt that power before and a lot has been made of us sparring back in the day. We did train together in the Team GB set-up for a bit but that’s going way back when.

And anyway, we can let our fighting do the actual talking inside the ring at Wembley Stadium.

I like looking into a fighter’s eyes before a fight, to see what they’re all about and we’ve done that already this week. He says he’s going to make me quit but I’m a different beast to what he’s faced and I make no secret of the fact that I’m going for the knock-out.

It’s important not to get too carried away by the emotion of an occasion, the bright lights, the sell-out crowd, the fans chanting your name. It’s easy to get caught up in it all.

I just have to remember that Saturday is a day at the office for me and I have a job to do, it’s just my office so happens to be a boxing ring with the lights and fanfare that surrounds that in the heavyweight division.

We have a clear game plan on how to get the job done and all I’ll be thinking about is executing that on my walk into the ring.

I feel in such a good place right now both inside and outside the ring. Life’s good and I’ve picked myself up after some difficult times.

You take some knocks in this sport and I’ve been through a world of pain to build myself back up, improve and show everyone I’m not a quitter. Plus, I feel the best is yet to come from me. I still feel young in this game.

Without fail from one fight to the next, I’ve always been about improving and incrementally I genuinely believe that’s been happening after Jermaine Franklin, Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin and, most recently, Francis Ngannou.

But I’ve not rested on my laurels since the Ngannou knock-out, I’ve just shut myself out from all the noise and worked tirelessly to get ready for this fight.

I fully understand people want to talk about what next. My promoter Eddie Hearn was speaking about Tyson Fury this week and how that fight has to happen in 2025. That’s my ambition.

But like I always say, I’m happy to fight whoever it is, whenever it is, wherever it is. I would love a third fight against Oleksandr Usyk, for example, and that may be the next opportunity, who knows.

And yet there is a danger of looking too far over the horizon when a 6ft 5in fighter with heavy hands is lying in wait for you. So I’m not looking past Dubois, my full and only focus is on what is in front of me on Saturday and all the talk around other fights is irrelevant until that is done.

I’ve got nothing but respect for the guy, anyone that’s willing to step into the ring and go toe to toe with me will always have my respect. And that respect won’t diminish after the fight even if the result goes the way I’m expecting.

Bring on world title fight No13. I’m feeling lucky.

Anthony Joshua’s heavyweight showdown with Daniel Dubois is on Saturday, live on Sky Sports Box Office. Book now for £19.95

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