Anthony Joshua has spoken of his focus and determination ahead of his first fight since December’s fatal car crash in Nigeria, as he prepares to take on Albanian puncher Kristian Prenga in Jeddah on Saturday.
Anthony Joshua struck a relaxed tone with reporters this week as he prepared for his comeback fight against Kristian Prenga in Saudi Arabia, thanking fans who had made the trip and encouraging a sizeable Albanian contingent to bring their “energy” to Saturday’s contest. The 36-year-old is returning to the ring for the first time since a car crash in Nigeria last December claimed the lives of two of his closest friends and members of his team, Sina Ghami and Latif “Latz” Ayodele. Victory would move Joshua closer to a potential all-British heavyweight showdown with Tyson Fury, provided “The Gypsy King” also wins his own warm-up fight against Mariusz Wach in Thailand on Friday.
Joshua’s mindset heading into the fight
Speaking at Thursday’s news conference in Jeddah, Joshua reflected on his preparation since the tragedy. “We’ve been working since January, working hard, keeping my head down and aligning all my stars,” he said. “I’m fully focused. I understand there’s a big picture. The goal is to conquer the universe, right? But first we must conquer Earth. And this is my target here.”
Joshua’s last outing in the ring came when he stopped YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in Miami, just ten days before the fatal crash. However, he has not beaten an established heavyweight since defeating Otto Wallin in December 2023. Ahead of this weekend’s contest, Joshua has been training with Oleksandr Usyk’s former coaching team, with his camp focusing on sharpening his defence, movement and conditioning since his last fight.
About the opponent
Prenga, who is now based in New Jersey, has won 20 of his professional bouts by knockout and lost just once, though the 35-year-old has never faced an opponent of Joshua’s calibre. His manager, Keith Sullivan, described the fight as a “real-life Rocky moment,” while Prenga himself has predicted he will win by knockout. Promoters have described Prenga as a dangerous puncher with genuine power, but believe he lacks experience against elite heavyweight opposition.
Asked whether he believed Prenga’s prediction, Joshua smiled and responded: “Can he knock me out? I really don’t believe it. But only God knows that.”
Event details
The fight will headline “The Comeback” event at the Jeddah Superdome and will be broadcast live worldwide on DAZN. The undercard features two world title fights: Hamzah Sheeraz defending his WBO super-middleweight title against Simon Zachenhuber, and Josh Kelly putting his IBF super-welterweight title on the line against Caoimhin Agyarko. The event is expected to draw a sell-out crowd and significant international media coverage, making it one of Saudi Arabia’s biggest boxing events of the year.
Looking ahead
Joshua’s clash with Prenga has been billed as a crucial tune-up fight ahead of a potential blockbuster showdown with Tyson Fury later this year, should both heavyweights come through their respective bouts successfully. Despite the ongoing speculation surrounding a future Fury fight, Joshua has repeatedly insisted his focus remains solely on Saturday’s contest against Prenga.
