Anthony Joshua is once again a feared name in the heavyweight division.
However, after a second loss to unified champion Oleksandr Usyk in 2022, it looked like Joshua was going to struggle returning to the division's top table.
An emotional post-fight press conference showed that the fire still burned bright inside Joshua when it came to the sport of boxing, and soon after he returned to the drawing board.
The first major decision Joshua had to make was who would be his trainer. After parting ways with long-time trainer Robert McCracken following the first loss to Usyk three years ago, and then Robert Garcia in the rematch, Joshua was hoping to find someone who would resurrect that killer instinct which saw him become one of British sport's biggest stars.
American Derrick James was brought into the fold for Joshua's fights with Jermaine Franklin and Robert Helenius in April and August last year respectively, and while the latter saw Joshua win with a brutal seventh round knockout, some felt that something was still missing from Joshua if he was to challenge the likes of Usyk and British rival Tyson Fury.
Then came a breakthrough moment, a clash against Otto Wallin last December saw Joshua opt for the services of Ben Davison and immediately there was a change. The pre-fight media engagements saw a more spiteful Joshua, a fighter who was taking no flak from rivals and instead had one simple goal, get the win by any means necessary.
His clashes with Wallin and then former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou the following March were both devastating stoppages, and his promoter Eddie Hearn explained to DAZN how Davison has helped produce a destructive AJ inside the boxing ring.
"I think the best way to describe it with AJ is that when he understands the game plan, he is really, really good and really effective," Hearn said.
"It’s about the way you deliver that gameplan to him. In the Usyk fight, maybe the Franklin and Helenius fights too, he just didn’t have that clarity. He’s a very bright guy and you can’t bluff him as a trainer. If he’s not ready or comfortable in the game plan he won’t be as effective. "
The change in Joshua's recent performances is something that has been noticed by Hearn and he puts down to trustworthy relationship between fighter and trainer.
"There was a period when I was going in the changing rooms, particularly around the Usyk, Franklin and even Helenius fights, where I was watching him hit pads and it just was not really flowing or clicking," Hearn continued.
"Then I went into the changing rooms half an hour before the Wallin fight and I thought ‘F—k me, I’ve never seen anything like this’. Everything that Ben was working on, you could see AJ getting everything. He had complete trust in Ben and Lee Wylie that the game plan was absolutely perfect."
All attention has now turned to Saturday night's clash between Joshua and IBF heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium which will be broadcast live on DAZN.
This all-British showdown has the potential to be a classic with both fighters known for not being afraid to let their hands go, but Hearn has claimed that Dubois is not the toughest of opponents and is confident that Joshua and Davison will come up with the right game plan to ensure that the 34-year-old is a three-time world champion.
"When he fully gets the game plan and when it’s fully drilled we think he’s unbeatable. And that’s how we feel at the moment. We feel that everything we are seeing in the training camp is exactly what’s going to happen on September 21st.
"With all due respect to Dubois, he makes mistakes and he’s not a difficult fighter to work out. He’s very strong, can punch and he’s physically a problem. When you analyse a fighter like that it’s not hard for the minds of Ben Davison and Lee Wylie to figure out the game plan."
A win for either Joshua and Dubois will carry huge implications, with a possible meeting with Usyk and Fury for the undisputed title likely to be next after they have met in a rematch later this year.