“I want to hurt him,” Joshua said to DAZN Boxing when discussing the fight. “It’s not nothing to do with him. It’s just me. It’s just I believe in myself, and I know I can do it, and I want to prove to myself I’m a serious wrecking machine. I got dynamite in both hands, and I want to punch with bad intentions.”

Joshua said his comments were not personal toward Prenga.

“You got to take him out. You got to have the right mindset, the know-how and have full belief in yourself,” Joshua said.

The 36-year-old also acknowledged that the pressure surrounding the fight extends beyond his opponent. Joshua said he feels responsibility to perform, secure a victory and move on to the marquee fight he has targeted next.

“I want to perform. I want to win. I want to fight Fury,” Joshua said. “I’ve got an obligation to my fans.”

Earlier in the interview, Joshua admitted that it has been difficult not to think beyond Prenga because of the opportunities that could follow.

“It is on Prenga, but it’s also on Fury because I want it all,” Joshua said. “I’ve mentioned in this interview now, undisputed, world champion, Prenga, Fury, I want it all.”

Joshua faces Prenga on July 25 in what is expected to be a tune-up ahead of a potential showdown with Tyson Fury later this year.

A convincing performance would keep those plans on track, but Joshua made it clear that he is aiming to send a stronger message than simply winning. Joshua meets Prenga on July 25 in Saudi Arabia. A victory is expected to move him toward the Tyson Fury fight he repeatedly discussed during the interview.