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Anthony Joshua says he is standing “as a soldier” for the parents of two close friends killed in a car crash as the British heavyweight prepares to return to boxing.
The two-time world champion was a passenger in the car Sina Ghami and Lateef ‘Latz’ Ayodele died in December in Nigeria.
In his first fight since the accident, in which Joshua suffered minor injuries, he will face the relatively unknown Albanian Kristian Prenga in Riyadh on July 25.
“You never get over it but you gain perspective in life,” Joshua, 36, told the 5 Live Boxing podcast.
“Life is humbling sometimes. You never know someone’s fate. As a soldier, I stand strong for their parents first and foremost.
“It’s not about me. I think it’s important to put their parents first at that moment.
“I will have my time to grieve. But right now, my heart and mind tell me that their parents are my main priority.”
The 2012 Olympic gold medalist was speaking ahead of a press conference in London on Monday where he faced Prenga for the first time.
Victory will clear the way for one The long awaited showdown against Tyson Fury Later this year.
For more than a decade, Joshua and Fury have been the defining figures of British heavyweight boxing on the world stage, yet have never shared a ring.
A deal is in place and both fighters are expected to earn a career-high purse when they finally meet, with a possible target date of October or November.
But the fight will only materialize if Joshua takes care of business against Prenga. Meanwhile, Fury is also understood to be planning an interim fight, potentially against an unnamed opponent in Dublin on August 1.
