If there's a new set of pressure that comes with being the biggest star in your sport, unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua of England has shouldered it well throughout his initial -- and meteoric -- rise to fame. 

It would be a bit disingenuous, of course, to suggest that Joshua, a 2012 Olympic gold medalist with movie star looks and the body of an NFL linebacker, ever snuck up on the boxing world. Yet even though the 27-year-old was tabbed early as a future star of the heavyweight division, his ascent toward global stardom and multi-million dollar purses has been frighteningly quick. 

The past two years have been a whirlwind as Joshua (20-0, 20 KOs) won his first world title in just his 16th pro fight, got up off the canvas to knock out former champion Wladimir Klitschko in the best heavyweight fight in over a decade and competed in front of crowds of 90,000 and 78,000 in 2017 alone, with the latter setting an indoor record for the sport. 

It would seem from talking to Joshua that he's equipped for handling the pressure that comes with the job, having an almost beyond-his-years respect for just how tenuous the time wearing the crown can be. 

Yet Joshua's focus has been put to the test in the build to Saturday's fight against WBO champion Joseph Parker (24-0, 18 KOs) at Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales (Showtime, 5 p.m. ET) when the WBA and IBF champion looks to unify three of the four recognized heavyweight belts. The reason is because of what's at stake should he win -- a dangerous showdown against WBC champion Deontay Wilder (40-0, 39 KOs) to declare a truly undisputed heavyweight king. 

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It's the kind of fight with the potential to catapult the winner to a level of stardom and casual recognition that the class of boxing's largest weight class hasn't known in two decades. It's also an opportunity so big, including all of the financial opportunities that come with it, that it would be easy for Joshua to believe a bit too much in his own hype and look past Parker while Wilder stands so ominously at 6-foot-7 in his horizon. 

Well-spoken in interviews, Joshua has a knack for saying the right things and largely has when asked whether all this talk of Wilder, who rallied to stop unbeaten Luis Ortiz in their thrilling March 3 bout, has overshadowed Parker's true danger. 

"I've got great people in my corner that handle the business while I focus on the handling of my boxing technique," Joshua said during last week's media teleconference. "We reached out to Deontay Wilder's team before the fight with Joseph Parker was made. And once that fight didn't happen, I put Wilder aside and focused solely on Parker. 

"I'm not the one overlooking Joseph Parker and I'm not the one hooting and hollering about what's happening next. I'm really focused on Parker because, as you know, if I don't get past Parker, it slows down the train and derails everything we're trying to achieve in terms of becoming the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world."

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Joshua looks to continue his incredible run as champion on Saturday night in Wales. Getty Images

While Joshua is certainly fueled by no shortage of confidence, there's a refreshing level of humility to his words that help him avoid toeing too close to full-blown arrogance. Part of his secret might be the fact that because he continues to show so much in-ring vulnerability despite his success, that finding motivation to keep improving is more necessity than luxury. 

"There's definitely a fear of losing because it keeps me going," Joshua said. "I have to make sure I stay focused on the task at hand. The fear of losing keeps me motivated because I know how quickly the tables can turn. One minute you're the man and the next you're not.

"I know how easy it is to be forgotten about."

Having a firm grasp on history -- including those who have failed in a similar situation -- is what Joshua credits for his wisdom. Asked specifically by media members last week whether he hopes to emulate former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson in terms of his "baddest man on the planet" nickname, Joshua had another fighter in mind to emulate. 

"No, no. I want to be the smartest fighter on the planet," Joshua said. "Look at [Floyd] Mayweather. He's not so much the baddest, he's known as the smartest -- wise, knows his way around the ring. He's got a boxing IQ."

Should Joshua desire the same business success of Mayweather, he has already shown himself to be suave publicly. Minutes after a report came out from the British newspaper The Guardian that UFC's Dana White was planning to attend Saturday's fight at ringside in hopes of seducing Joshua away from promoter Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Sport to the tune of a $500 million deal, Joshua played it perfectly down the middle in his response to reporters.

"I'm interested because we can all work together," Joshua said. "Mine and Eddie's relationship is a really good working relationship. I'm sure Eddie has an interest in working with Dana White. If it's good business, it makes sense. We'll listen and 100 percent, if it makes sense, we're all in." 

From Hearn's perspective, the key to Joshua's success has been his focus and drive. But he went on to dig a big deeper in pointing out the root of his stability. 

"AJ hasn't changed one bit," Hearn said. "He can't go out much but he is the same person as when I first met him years ago. That's pretty amazing.

"One thing about Anthony is that he's not real big on hype."

Should he defeat Parker, the bidding war between American premier cable television stations Showtime and HBO should only get hotter. Meanwhile, the drum will continue to beat for a Wilder fight at volume that hasn't been heard since Lennox Lewis defeated a faded Tyson in the coda to the last great heavyweight era.   

Joshua has a chance not just to reignite the sport due to his marketability by becoming the undisputed face of the division, he has a shot at crossing over to a level worldwide that boxers rarely reach. The pressure is on.