Anthony Joshua returns to the ring on Saturday night in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, against Kristian Prenga, his first fight since a car accident near Lagos, Nigeria, killed two of his childhood friends late last year.
The crash claimed the lives of Sina Ghami and Latif "Latz" Ayodele, both 36, who had been part of Joshua's inner circle for decades. Ghami served as his strength coach and Ayodele as his personal trainer.
The fight is Joshua's second under Oleksandr Usyk's team, but the first following a full training camp together. It is also the first real opportunity to show the technical improvements those around him say have changed his game, and a first step toward a potential showdown with Tyson Fury.
"I never considered walking away, because boxing is my purpose," Joshua said ahead of his comeback. "It's not just about competing. Boxing is therapeutic as well. It gives me purpose.
"As fighters, that's what it gives us. When I'm boxing, I know I'm where I'm supposed to be. It's where I'm most comfortable.
"It gives me direction in life, and that's why I never really thought about walking away. I'm content. This is where I belong."
Coping with grief
Joshua said he tries to put his own emotions aside and focus instead on the parents of his friends.
"Everyone deals with it differently," he said. "For me, I have to put my own emotions to one side because I focus on the parents.
"My emotions can come later, but I look at what the mums and dads are going through because that's what must be hardest.
"I don't make it about me. I make it about them. You have to keep your own emotions under control. That's not how everyone deals with it, but it's the best way for me. I need to be a good soldier. At the end of the day, it's not about me. It's much bigger than me."
Lessons from Usyk's camp
Joshua's move to train alongside former undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk has raised questions about technical improvements, but he told the Daily Mail in Jeddah that the biggest lesson he has taken from the Ukrainian has nothing to do with slipping punches or throwing combinations.
"The importance of prayer," Joshua said. "Even if you're not deeply religious or don't follow one particular faith, prayer is important. It's something you can take into every training camp."
He said every part of his game has evolved inside Usyk's camp, but one lesson stands above the rest.
"The biggest thing is my relationship with hard work. You can be in one environment and think you're working hard, then you go into another environment and realise what you thought was hard actually isn't hard enough. It isn't good enough.
"So it's really changed my relationship with hard work. I want more from myself. I've put myself in an environment where I know I'll get more out of boxing because I've given more of myself to boxing. These guys push me harder than I was ever pushed before."
Those working closest to Joshua believe his defence has improved dramatically since arriving in camp, and see a more patient, more rounded heavyweight than the explosive Olympic champion who first emerged more than a decade ago.
Looking toward Fury
If Joshua gets past Prenga, attention will turn to Fury. The long-discussed Battle of Britain has come close to happening before, only to collapse at the negotiating table, but with both men rebuilding it feels closer than it has in years.
Joshua knows Fury will be watching. Asked what he wants his rival to think after seeing him fight again, Joshua smiled before answering.
"This guy is a f***ing killer. He's a beast. He's strong. He's quick. He's got good footwork. He's got good defence and it's gonna be hard work trying to beat this guy. That's what I'd want him to think."
Even so, Joshua said a fight with Fury would not outrank the achievements that have already defined his career.
"It's a huge fight, but it's not for a world title, if I'm being completely honest," he said.
"It's a great achievement if I beat someone like Tyson Fury, but for me, nothing compares to becoming a world champion. You can beat great fighters, but it's different when you're beating them to become a world champion."
Old school on world titles
Joshua said he remains committed to the value of championship belts at a time when some of boxing's biggest stars question whether they still matter, pointing to changing financial realities that let fighters earn fortunes outside the traditional title picture.
"There's a lot of talk nowadays about fighters saying belts don't matter anymore," he said. "People's attitudes are changing because there are different opportunities now. But personally, the heritage and history of boxing still means everything to me. You can't beat becoming a world champion, in my opinion... Unless someone dangles a big enough carrot in front of me... then f*** the belts."
Joshua laughed as he said it, but for now his focus is fixed on Prenga on Saturday, back in the ring for the first time since the crash that killed two of his closest friends.