By Ogungbayi Adeyemi S. | adeyemi@ddnewsonline.com
Editor, DDNews |
British heavyweight star Anthony Joshua is set to return to the ring on July 25 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for a warm-up bout against Albanian heavyweight Kristian Prenga, as he prepares for a long-awaited clash with fellow Briton Tyson Fury later in the year. The announcement was made on Monday by Saudi Boxing chief Turki Alalshikh, who confirmed that the fight will take place as part of the Esports World Cup event and will be broadcast live on DAZN.
It will mark Joshua’s first outing since his dominant knockout victory over American YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in December last year. Shortly after that win, the former unified heavyweight champion was involved in a tragic road accident in Nigeria along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, which claimed the lives of two of his close friends and left him with minor injuries.
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Joshua has since resumed full training and has signed a two-fight deal with Riyadh Season, with the second bout widely expected to be the blockbuster showdown against Tyson Fury towards the end of 2026. “To my friends in Great Britain – it’s happening. It’s signed,” Alalshikh tweeted, generating huge excitement among boxing fans in the UK and beyond.
While the main focus remains on the potential Fury fight, Joshua must first navigate the challenge of Prenga, an opponent largely unknown on the global stage. The Watford-born powerhouse will be looking to use the July 25 contest to sharpen his ring rust and build momentum heading into what could be one of the biggest heavyweight clashes in recent British boxing history.
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By Ogungbayi Adeyemi S. (Beedee)
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