Anthony Joshua has chosen to openly discuss the previous setbacks in his career, while also acknowledging that he was once hurt in sparring by David Price.
Before a fight between Joshua and Joseph Parker was agreed, the New Zealander's promoter David Higgins has opted to claim that Joshua possesses "a glass chin", frequently referencing previous rumours over Joshua's performances during training.
However, the IBF and WBA title holder has decided to talk about previous amateur defeats and the incident with Price, as well as insisting that his past history has made him a stronger fighter.
At a press conference, Joshua said: "When you talk about myself getting dropped and what you done, it's a marketability strategy. When you want to talk about facts - the three times that I have been hurt or dropped was in the European Championships when McCracken knows I was actually banned from the GB team, because I was still getting in trouble.
"I stopped boxing and two weeks before that European Championship, I was called up to the country. I was very unfit, I didn't get dropped, I got stopped. When your tank is empty, it's hard to perform.
"The second time was David Price. I had come out of a police cell the day I went up to training. I'm not going to use it as an excuse, but David Price is a puncher, and lack of experience.
"With Klitschko, all those times it told me, it will take more than a human to stop me from where I'm destined to be, and that's what I learnt. Not to walk with sight, because when you're fatigued you don't know where you are. I walk with faith in this journey."
Joshua and WBO champion Parker are scheduled to meet in Cardiff on March 31.
Darren Plant
