Anthony Joshua v Otto Wallin: British heavyweight will complete rebuild with victory in Saudi

"I had my little dip and I'm back on the gravy train."

Eighteen months have passed since Anthony Joshua choked back the tears to a room full of the world's boxing media in Saudi Arabia.

Britain's London 2012 Olympics golden boy had just suffered a second consecutive defeat by Oleksandr Usyk. Years of pressure and scrutiny had taken its toll and the then 32-year-old faced an uncertain road back to world-title contention.

There was no shortage of criticism. Some felt he was past his peak, less than a decade after turning professional. Speculation on his mental state was rife. There were even some rather premature and unjust suggestions the two-time champion should retire.

"Sometimes when you get knocked off your pedestal, people find it hard to get back up, let alone get back on course," Joshua tells BBC Sport.

But 'AJ' insists he is "back on course again". Having taken the rest of 2022 off, he beat Jermaine Franklin in an underwhelming yet composed points win in April and then produced a much-needed one-punch knockout victory over Robert Helenius four months later.

"I definitely questioned myself, I pulled myself back," adds the now 34-year-old. "What is my purpose? This is what I really want. Among the feelings that come and go, the one that stays with me is I want to be a competitor, I want to be a fighter."

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Joshua faces Otto Wallin in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Saturday. A win will be the final piece in the jigsaw to rebuild Joshua - with the dangling carrot being a blockbuster bout against long-time rival Deontay Wilder, or a shot at a vacant world title.

A loss to Swede Wallin, however, would scupper those plans. There is a rematch clause in place so it would not quite be the final nail in the coffin of Joshua's career but even his most hardened supporters would struggle to fight his corner.

Has rebuilding mission been a success so far?

On the surface, a points win over durable American Franklin and a laboured one-punch knockout against a credible yet unthreatening Helenius is not overly impressive.

But context is key and there are positives to take from both wins - not least the time spent in the ring.

Joshua has kept to his promise of fighting three times in 2023. That level of activity, particularly for a top-tier heavyweight, is rare and the last time he did so in a calendar year was 2016.

"The reason I'm staying active is because everything else in my life has to come second and fighting has to come first," he says.

Joshua can perhaps be forgiven for boxing tentatively against Franklin. After back-to-back defeats, AJ's career was on the line.

The 6ft 6in Helenius posed a different proposition and Joshua was booed at London's O2 Arena before uncoupling from the weight on his shoulders and recording a first stoppage win in almost three years.

"By the end of 2023 he'll have had three wins in 12 months against decent opposition," adds promoter Eddie Hearn. "He can sit down at Christmas dinner and be very happy with his year."

Darkness retreats and tetchy AJ

There seems to be a new-found focus and attitude in AJ. He has appeared more spiteful, even a little tetchy, in recent times.

Wallin believes Joshua is "mentally" fragile since his shock 2019 defeat by Andy Ruiz Jr in Diriyah.

"He's scared of losing, getting knocked out again, I think that's a big problem for him," says the 33-year-old Wallin.

At Thursday's news conference, Joshua attributed his tension to an eagerness to perform.

He has verbally clashed with Franklin, Helenius and Wallin, and exchanged words with Jarrell Miller in Saudi.

"You're working for me Saturday night, I'm still your landlord," a pumped-up Joshua told Miller - who failed a drugs test before their cancelled 2019 bout - in a hotel on Monday.

The two-time world champion even forked out a reported £2,000 on a darkness retreat to spend four days alone with his thoughts in a blacked-out room.

But whether this attitude and approach will help lead to Joshua becoming a three-time world champion, or if it is simply a by-product of years of pressure, remains to be seen.

New trainer Davison & Joshua a 'match made in heaven'

Ben Davison is the latest coach to link up with Joshua

Joshua has enlisted the services of British trainer Ben Davison for this fight, with Texas-based Derrick James unavailable for logistical reasons.

After splitting with long-time trainer Robert McCracken, Joshua had Robert Garcia in the corner for the Usyk rematch before linking up with American James.

While critics feel another coaching change points to desperation, Joshua says it was "right for my career."

His new stablemate, former world champion Leigh Wood, describes Davison and Joshua as a "match made in heaven".

Davison took Wood from a fringe-level contender to a world champion, unearthing devastating knockout power. The Nottingham fighter believes the trainer will have the same impact on Joshua.

"Joshua's power is absolutely frightening - you can see it in the gym - and he is now in the best place possible to deliver that power," adds Wood.

"Ben watches boxing religiously every single day. I'll walk into the gym and whatever time it is, Ben will be in there before anyone, watching boxing.

"As long as Joshua puts his trust in Ben, he's at the right place."

Has Joshua learned from past mistakes?

Despite the Wilder bout being mooted for 9 March in Riyadh, Joshua's mind is set on one thing.

"The championship is worth much more to me, that's special," he says.

But Wallin is far from a walkover and almost caused a huge upset against Tyson Fury in 2019, opening up a cut above the Briton's right eye before eventually losing on points.

Talks of an undisputed fight with fellow champion Wilder dominated the headlines before Joshua's defeat by Ruiz Jr and Hearn says his fighter "definitely took his eye off the ball".

Joshua cannot afford to be complacent again.

"It's hard to switch off from all these opportunities, [but] I transform that pressure and what could be a distraction into motivation," Joshua adds.

"[Wallin] is probably right, I'm not the same man I used to be, I'm probably better."