Anthony Joshua set for July 25 return against Prenga; Tyson Fury deal signed for 2026 showdown
Boxing News
Anthony Joshua will return to the ring against Albanian heavyweight Kristian Prenga on July 25 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in a bout positioned as the first step toward a confirmed fight with Tyson Fury later this year.
The contest, titled “The Comeback,” was announced by Turki Alalshikh, with Joshua headlining a DAZN-streamed event during the Esports World Cup in Riyadh’s Boulevard City. Reports corroborated by The Ring’s Mike Coppinger state that a deal for Joshua to face Fury in the fourth quarter of 2026 has been signed, with the fight targeted to stream on Netflix, contingent on Joshua winning his interim bout.
Joshua returns following a sixth-round knockout victory over Jake Paul on December 19, 2025, in Miami, his first appearance since being stopped by Daniel Dubois in September 2024. His recent period outside the ring has also been shaped by personal tragedy, after Joshua was involved in a December car crash near Lagos, Nigeria, in which two close friends and members of his training team were killed, while he narrowly escaped serious injury. It’s an incident that raised uncertainty around his immediate future in boxing.
“It’s no secret I’ve taken some time to consolidate and rebuild to be ready for stepping back into the ring and today is the next step on that journey,” Joshua said. “I’m delighted to have agreed a multi fight deal starting with July 25th in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia. I’m looking forward to competing and picking up where I left off. As I said. The landlord will collect his rent. That is certain.”
Kristian Prenga’s record and route to Joshua
Prenga, 35, enters the bout with a record presented as 20 wins and 20 knockouts, alongside one professional defeat. Standing 6ft 5in, the Albanian-born heavyweight now trains out of Edgewater, New Jersey, and will be competing in the highest-profile fight of his career.
His professional path has largely taken place outside the established promotional picture. After turning professional in Germany in 2016, he suffered his only defeat in February 2017 against Giovanni Auriemma in the Netherlands in his fifth fight. He later fought in Canada before periods of inactivity in 2019 and 2020, returning in Colombia in July 2021 and then building activity across the East Coast club circuit in the United States.
Prenga’s most notable victory came against Joey Dawejko in October 2024, a fighter who has previously been linked to Joshua through sparring ahead of Joshua’s 2019 loss to Andy Ruiz Jr. Despite his knockout ratio, Prenga has not been recognised as a contender within the heavyweight title scene, having not been ranked within the top 15 by any major sanctioning body during his career.
“Anthony Joshua is a great fighter, but he made a terrible miscalculation in picking me as his opponent,” Prenga said. “This is the kind of fight that changes everything in my life and his. I know they have big plans ahead after this fight. I know they are overlooking me. I’m happy about that. I will derail their plans and shock the world this July in Saudi Arabia.”
The selection reflects comments from Eddie Hearn that Joshua’s return would prioritise activity and recovery for future major challenges, rather than immediately facing a name such as Deontay Wilder.
Fury deal signed, timeline set for late 2026
The long-anticipated fight between Joshua and Fury has now moved into place, with reports indicating that a deal has been signed for a fourth-quarter 2026 showdown. The bout is expected to be staged between October and December, with Joshua’s July outing serving as a required step before the contest proceeds.
Earlier in April, Joshua and Fury exchanged words at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium following Fury’s victory over Arslanbek Makhmudov, where Fury issued a direct call-out. That exchange has since been followed by formal progress toward finalising the fight.
Spencer Brown, Fury’s manager, has indicated on social media that if Joshua proceeds with the July date, Fury could also take an interim fight before the contest, owing to Fury’s own recent inactivity.
For Joshua, the immediate focus remains July 25 in Riyadh. A victory over Prenga would clear the path toward a confirmed meeting with Fury, while any disruption would again delay a fight that has defined the British heavyweight landscape without ever taking place.
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