Joshua Returns in Saudi Arabia, Faces Prenga Before Fury Showdown

Anthony Joshua returned to professional boxing on July 25 at the Jeddah Superdome in Saudi Arabia, taking on Albanian heavyweight Kristian Prenga in his first fight in seven months. The bout marked Joshua's comeback following a car crash in Nigeria in December 2025 that claimed the lives of two close friends and team members, Sina Ghami and Latif 'Latz' Ayodele. Joshua, a 36-year-old former two-time world heavyweight champion, entered as a heavy favourite with a professional record of 29 wins and 4 losses, while Prenga came in with 20 wins and 1 loss, all victories achieved by knockout.

The event was billed as a crucial stepping stone in Joshua's path to an anticipated showdown with Tyson Fury, scheduled for later in 2026. Fury had won his own warm-up bout against Mariusz Wach by seventh-round TKO in Thailand on July 24, clearing the path for both fighters to meet. Joshua weighed 251 pounds at the official weigh-in, 7.6 pounds heavier than his previous fight against Jake Paul in December 2025, while Prenga scaled 261.4 pounds. Boxing analysts and prominent figures in the sport widely predicted Joshua would win, typically forecasting a stoppage between rounds three and four, though Prenga's knockout power—evident in his perfect 20-for-20 knockout record—was noted as a factor that demanded caution.

Joshua's preparation involved training under the guidance of Oleksandr Usyk's team, with the Ukrainian champion's coaching staff emphasizing the pursuit of consistent greatness. At the pre-fight press conference, Joshua appeared notably more relaxed than usual, engaging with media and supporters. He stated his approach to the fight clearly: "The goal is to conquer the universe. But first we must conquer Earth. And this is my target here." Promoter Eddie Hearn advised Joshua to finish the bout decisively, cautioning that "heavyweight boxing is heavyweight boxing" despite Joshua being the clear favourite.

Prenga, age 35 and based in New Jersey, had accumulated his undefeated record against limited opposition, with his most notable opponent being journeyman Joey Dawejko. His manager Keith Sullivan described the contest as a "real-life Rocky moment," while Prenga himself predicted a knockout victory. However, Joshua had fought a substantially higher level of competition across 173 professional rounds compared to Prenga's 53 rounds. The main card featured other title bouts, including WBO super-middleweight champion Hamzah Sheeraz defending against Simon Zachenhuber and Josh Kelly retaining his IBF light-middleweight title against Caoimhin Agyarko. The event was broadcast on DAZN pay-per-view at a price of $59.99, with ring walks scheduled for approximately 23:00 BST.