Anthony Joshua is wise enough to understand the position he is in and the cut-throat nature of the business in which he operates.

The Brit holds the WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO world heavyweight titles and if it’s not Alexander Povetkin trying to knock him off his perch, it’s going to be Tyson Fury, Deontay Wilder or someone else.

But Joshua, who put it as simply as: ‘I feel like I’m being hunted,’ believes his status as world champion has benefited him in the form of game sparring partners, to which he hopes to reap the rewards from in his his title defence against Russian challenger Povetkin later this month.

Anthony Joshua has hailed sparring partners for helping him prepare for Alexander Povetkin

‘People aren’t coming to give me rounds anymore,’ Joshua told Sky Sports News. ‘They don’t say: “what do you want me to do?”

‘No. They’re coming to take my head off because I’m the hunted.

‘I’ve become the hunted and I’m well aware of that, and it’s made me up my game. This is the reality I live in.’

Joshua has said being world heavyweight champion means he has become the ‘hunted’

Joshua has openly admitted he is looking past Povetkin and on to a potential blockbuster clash at Wembley Stadium next year – with the venue already booked for April 13 – but you suspect that may be part of a deceitful plan.

As the world champion has prepared diligently for the dangerous Povetkin – the open workout in Sheffield on Wednesday confirmed that when Joshua turned up looking ripped and ready.

He has been regularly sparring the likes of Agit Kabayel, who beat Dereck Chisora last year, and Scotland-based prospect Martin Bakole during this training camp and hailed them for providing him with competitive rounds.

The Brit said his game sparring partners have been ‘trying to take his head off’

‘We have had tough sparring, we do a lot of rounds,’ Joshua added. ‘I called it on – I asked for more rounds. I’ll never do that again!

‘We’ve been sparring the Turks, Germans, Africans, English. Different countries, physicality, mentalities.

‘I’m world champion right now but I’m still learning from all these guys because they’re really talented fighters. I take in what they tell me.

Joshua worked out at an open session in Sheffield on Wednesday ahead of his fight this month

‘Remember, Povetkin isn’t getting out after four or five rounds. He’s staying in there with me. Everything I have learned, I will do.

‘We’ve been trading heavy leather in these sparring sessions so, if I can do that with Povetkin and he stays in, all credit to him. Because in sparring, after four or five rounds, it gets tough and physical.

‘I know my sparring partners have the opportunity to get out but he has to stay in, so it will be interesting to see how he survives.’

Indeed, on September 22 Joshua will have his answer.

He says if he can go to town like he has been in sparring then Povetkin will struggle to survive