Joshua dismisses Fury talk: Prenga is the only obstacle that exists right now
Ahead of his comeback appearance in Jeddah, Anthony Joshua refused to develop the story of a possible blockbuster showdown with Tyson Fury, saying that future plans have no value until he defeats Kristian Prenga. The former two-time unified heavyweight world champion will compete on July 25, 2026, at the Jeddah Superdome, where he will face the Albanian heavyweight with a professional record of 20 wins and one defeat. All 20 of Prenga's victories ended inside the distance, making his statistics sufficiently alarming that Joshua does not want to take part in conversations that turn his opponent into a mere stepping stone in advance. According to Matchroom Boxing's official records, Joshua enters the bout with a record of 29-4 and 26 knockout victories, while Prenga stands at 20-1 with a 100-percent knockout rate in his wins. Although bookmakers and most boxing analysts regard the Briton as a clear favorite, his message from Jeddah was unmistakable: without a victory over Prenga, there will be no Fury, no new major contracts and no continuation of the story about returning to the very top.
Joshua shuts down every question about Fury
At the final media conference, Joshua did not allow the proposed British megafight to overshadow the contest immediately in front of him. When the conversation was again redirected toward Fury, he replied that he did not currently want to go down that road and stressed that there was "no future" if he failed to overcome the present obstacle. ESPN and talkSPORT reported his message that there is no wider story or grand plan capable of surviving a defeat by Prenga. Such an attitude is not merely a routine statement about concentration, but also an acknowledgment of how serious the sporting and business consequences of an upset in Jeddah would be. Joshua knows that the public has behaved for months as though the fight with Fury were already a completed deal, but he also knows that the heavyweight division has repeatedly demonstrated how a single punch can erase prolonged negotiations.
The Briton therefore insisted on showing respect toward the man who will stand opposite him. Prenga may not have experience at the level of the opponents Joshua faced in world-title fights, but he has heavyweight dimensions, an orthodox stance and a proven ability to finish bouts before the final bell. In an earlier official statement for Matchroom, Joshua said that he fully understood the challenge and that the better boxer would win on July 25. During the final stage of preparations, he hardened his tone further, rejecting the possibility of mentally looking past his opponent and already thinking about the next contract. For a boxer whose career has been marked by major stadiums, world titles and immense media pressure, that discipline of focus may be just as important as his physical preparation.
Prenga's statistics attract attention, but also raise questions
Kristian Prenga has an unusually simple pattern of results in professional boxing: when he wins, he wins inside the distance. BoxRec states that the 35-year-old Albanian is 196 centimeters tall, lives in the U.S. state of New Jersey and has been a professional since 2016. His only defeat came in 2017 against Giovanni Auriemma by judges' decision, after Prenga had a point deducted in the sixth round. Prenga had previously defeated the same opponent, and after the loss he put together a long winning streak, mainly at events in the United States. His most recent recorded appearance before Joshua ended in a technical-knockout victory over Joe Jones in February 2026.
At the same time, the numbers require context. Prenga has not yet boxed an opponent with Joshua's reputation, experience and technical level, and a large part of his career has unfolded away from the center of the global heavyweight division. That is precisely why Joshua is a major favorite: not merely because he is more recognizable, but because of the years he has spent in world-title bouts, his experience in front of tens of thousands of spectators and his encounters with elite heavyweights of different styles. Nevertheless, a 100-percent knockout rate in victories is not a statistic that can be completely ignored. Prenga is not required to outbox Joshua throughout the entire contest; his realistic opportunity rests on finding a moment for a powerful punch, exploiting possible uncertainty after a lengthy layoff and forcing the favorite into a mistake.
The Albanian himself openly accepts the role of the man who is supposed to ruin somebody else's plans. In the first official announcement, he said that he knew larger deals were already being prepared for after his bout and that he intended to derail that schedule. At the fight presentation in London, he expressed respect for Joshua, but added that he believed his time had arrived. Ahead of the final face-off, he went one step further and predicted a knockout victory. Such statements are an expected part of promotion, but in this case they are supported by at least one clear fact: Prenga has never recorded a professional victory on points.
A return after a difficult period
For Joshua, this appearance carries greater significance than an ordinary tune-up fight. According to Matchroom, he last boxed in December 2025, when he stopped Jake Paul and raised his professional record to 29 wins and four defeats. At the end of the same month, he was involved in a traffic accident in Nigeria in which his close friends and team members Sina Ghami and Latif "Latz" Ayodele were killed. Joshua suffered injuries, and his return to training took place alongside physical recovery and the process of dealing with the loss of people who had been an important part of his private and professional life. For that reason, the event in Jeddah is officially promoted as "The Comeback", but in this case the return signifies more than merely stepping back into the ring.
Promoter Eddie Hearn has repeatedly emphasized that, after the accident, Joshua had to go through a more mentally demanding process than could be seen from the outside. Ahead of the fight, The Guardian reported Hearn's assessment that many athletes would have withdrawn after such a loss, whereas Joshua decided to continue his career. The Briton spent part of his preparations in Spain in an environment connected with Oleksandr Usyk, the former opponent who defeated him twice in world-title fights. According to ESPN and The Ring, working with Usyk's team was supposed to provide him with a new structure, technical precision and a calmer approach to training. How much of that work has transferred into the competitive ring will be one of the more important questions on Saturday night.
Joshua has already gone through major comebacks during his career. After the surprising defeat by Andy Ruiz Jr. in 2019, he changed his approach and convincingly regained the belts in the rematch. He later lost twice to Usyk, while Daniel Dubois stopped him in the fifth round in September 2024 after four knockdowns. The victory over Paul returned him to winning ways, but it did not answer every question about his position among the elite heavyweights. Prenga should be an opponent against whom Joshua can demonstrate that he is physically ready, tactically disciplined and emotionally stable again, but the risk of every so-called transitional fight lies precisely in that assumption.
Fury remains the biggest possible target, but the details have not yet been finalized
A potential meeting between Joshua and Tyson Fury has for years been one of the most sought-after fights in British and global boxing. Both men have been world champions, both have headlined major events and built global audiences, but they have never shared a professional ring. Negotiations approached the final stage on several occasions before collapsing because of sporting defeats, contractual obligations or changes in the heavyweight division's plans. According to The Ring, Joshua accepted the framework of an agreement for a bout at the end of 2026, while Hearn publicly claimed that the contractual elements had been signed. Nevertheless, as of July 24, the exact date, venue and all commercial details had not been officially confirmed.
November 2026 is the date most frequently mentioned in the media, but that period should still be viewed as a target rather than an unchangeable fact. Fury had an appearance scheduled against Mariusz Wach in Thailand on July 24, one day before Joshua's event, also in a bout widely interpreted as preparation for a larger occasion. His public messages about Joshua once again varied between provocations, doubt and claims that he did not want to concern himself with somebody else's business before completing his own appearance. Such communication has followed Fury throughout his career and does not provide a firm answer about the final schedule. The only certainty is that a defeat for either man this weekend would seriously alter the value, timing and sporting logic of their meeting.
For Joshua, Prenga is therefore not merely an opponent, but a checkpoint. Victory would maintain his commercial momentum, create room for official confirmation of the Fury bout and allow him to continue building a new identity after his recent defeats and personal tragedy. Defeat, on the other hand, would be one of the greatest shocks in the recent history of the heavyweight division and would almost certainly halt the planned megafight in its present form. Even an unconvincing victory could open a debate about whether Joshua is ready for Fury, particularly if he shows problems with his reactions, conditioning or distance control. That is why his emphasis on the present moment is more than a rhetorical formula for a media conference.
What Joshua must control in the ring
On a technical level, Joshua has the clearer and more varied arsenal. His lead jab, his footwork when he chooses to box at distance and his right-cross-left-hook combinations should enable him to control the space. Against Prenga's approach, the greatest danger will arise if the favorite unnecessarily remains at mid-range, comes forward in straight lines without preparation or attempts to prove his power too early. Prenga will probably look for exchanges in which one powerful punch can erase the technical difference. Joshua will therefore have to balance the aggression expected by the audience with the caution demanded by an opponent accustomed to finishing fights.
The start of the contest will also be important. If Joshua establishes the jab early, forces Prenga to punch while off balance and gradually takes away his space, the difference in experience should become increasingly visible. If he allows the Albanian to gain confidence, land to the body or pressure him against the ropes, the event could become more uncomfortable than expected. Prenga does not have a long history of bouts at the highest level, so it remains unknown how he will react to the pace, precision and physical pressure of an elite opponent. Equally, after Joshua's layoff and everything that preceded it, it cannot be known in advance how the Briton will feel when he absorbs the first serious punch.
At his best, Joshua was most dangerous when he patiently created an opening and then explosively completed a combination. In weaker moments, he has been known to become rigid, retreat in a straight line or spend too long searching for the perfect punch. The new training framework should reduce such fluctuations and restore his sense of control. Prenga will attempt to do exactly the opposite: turn the contest into a short, physical and untidy fight in which the difference in technical knowledge is less visible. For that reason, the opening rounds will be important not only for the result, but also for assessing Joshua's current form.
Jeddah gets a major boxing night with two title fights
The official event will be held at the Jeddah Superdome as part of the Jeddah Season program, in cooperation with Riyadh Season, Matchroom Boxing, SELA and Goldstar. The main card will be broadcast by DAZN through its pay-per-view offering and Ultimate tier, and according to the platform's schedule, coverage is expected to begin at 8 p.m. Saudi time. Joshua and Prenga are expected to make their ring walks at approximately one hour after midnight, meaning in the early hours of July 26 in Saudi Arabia, although the schedule may change depending on the duration of the earlier bouts. This explains why the event is officially listed under the date of July 25, even though the main contest could begin after midnight according to local time.
The card also includes two world-title fights. Hamzah Sheeraz will defend the WBO super-middleweight belt against Simon Zachenhuber, while Josh Kelly will make the first defense of his IBF super-welterweight title against the unbeaten Caoimhin Agyarko. Matchroom has also confirmed appearances by Japanese featherweight Reito Tsutsumi and Ukrainian Olympic champion Oleksandr Khyzhniak, for whom this will be only his second professional bout. Such a schedule gives the event greater sporting breadth than the Joshua and Fury story alone. For the audience in Jeddah, it is a complete international boxing event, not merely a single comeback fight.
Nevertheless, all attention during the closing stage of the evening will be directed toward the former champion and the underdog who claims he can destroy the heavyweight division's biggest plan. Joshua has done what is expected of a favorite before a dangerous transitional contest: he has refused to speak as though victory were already recorded. Prenga enters the ring with less experience, but without the burden of expectations and with a reputation as a knockout artist. Fury will remain present in the background for as long as the possibility of their showdown exists, but he cannot fight in Joshua's place in Jeddah. Before the road opens toward one of the biggest commercial fights of the generation, Joshua must deal with the only task that has truly been confirmed — Kristian Prenga.
Sources:
- Matchroom Boxing – official event page, date, venue and professional records of the main fighters (link)
- Matchroom Boxing – statements by Joshua and Prenga from the official fight presentation in London and confirmation that it will be held at the Jeddah Superdome (link)
- Matchroom Boxing – official event lineup and confirmation of two world-title fights (link)
- ESPN – report from the final press conference and Joshua's statements that there is no future plan without a victory over Prenga (link)
- BoxRec – Prenga's professional record, physical data and chronology of his previous bouts (link)
- The Ring – information about the planned Joshua-Fury bout and the status of the agreement for the end of 2026 (link)
- The Guardian – context of the comeback after the traffic accident, Fury's parallel appearance and the state of the heavyweight division (link)
- Sky News – confirmed names of the members of Joshua's team who died after the accident in Nigeria (link)
- DAZN – official broadcast schedule and expected ring-walk time for the main fighters (link)