Anthony Joshua told Tony Bellew that he was still hungry for success ahead of his clash with Jermaine Franklin.
The former unified champion is on the comeback trail after successive defeats to Oleksandr Usyk, and is now working with Derrick James, based in Texas.
Speaking on DAZN, Joshua told Bellew why he had changed his setup.
He explained: “I didn’t come here for a holiday, I’ve come here for a goal, I want to challenge myself. I want to get better. When I fought Usyk I just felt I let a lot of people down.
“They feel like, 'Where’s his head at, his mind’s not in the game.'
“That’s not the truth. my heart’s in the game, fully. This is all I have really.
“The expectation on my back: represent this, represent that, smile for this, carry that baby and smile, and that’s why it hit me when I didn’t win. That’s why I’m starting fresh.
“When I finish training, for example, I'm at home stretching and doing ice baths and I’m able to relax. I remember Canelo [Alvarez] said when he left the gym and walked to the bus stop thinking about what his coach was talking about that day, he’d be shadowboxing, and that’s how he managed to get better. When I leave the gym here, my mind’s still on the job.
“It’s not just about, ‘Is your head in it?’ My heart is in it.You have to love it, it’s not normal. My goal is to beat whoever is in front of me.
“Derrick James is an ex-fighter, I feel like he knows how to get someone fight-ready, and he’s pushing me.”
With Errol Spence Jr. and the Charlo brothers in the same gym, Joshua said he is gaining improvements from being around such fighters.
“When you’re amongst other great fighters it does help. You cross each other’s path, but it does give you motivation to see good and bad. It does breed success,” he added.
Asked by Bellew how the two came to work together, he explained and gave his early impressions.
He said: “His guy DK hit me up on Instagram. When I saw him I liked him, I liked the size of him. He’s a good fighter, he’s a good boxer, he has fast hands, very athletic.
“It’s all about getting him to understand who he really is, outside of the ring, and what his full potential really is.”