Joshua vs Prenga: AJ Confirms July 25 Return in Riyadh Is On Schedule Despite Fury Promotion Dispute

[Luca76]

Anthony Joshua's camp confirmed on Saturday that his July 25 return fight against Kristian Prenga in Riyadh remains on schedule and on track despite the ongoing promotional dispute between Eddie Hearn and Dana White over the November Fury fight. Joshua's promoter confirmed that the Prenga warm-up is separate from the Fury promotional disagreement and will proceed as planned. The fight is being held at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, the same venue where Joshua fought Dubois and subsequently Jake Paul, and will be broadcast in the UK on Sky Sports.

Prenga, the Albanian heavyweight with a 100 percent knockout ratio from 14 fights, was brought in specifically as a tune-up that offers something more than a journeyman but does not represent championship-level risk five months before the biggest fight of Joshua's career. Joshua has not completed five rounds since the Dubois loss in 2024, making ring time and rhythm the primary objectives rather than showcasing new skills. Hearn has said he wants to see AJ make a statement performance and arrive at the Fury fight with momentum and confidence.

The emotional context of Joshua's comeback has been widely reported: the December car crash in Lagos that killed his close friends strength coach Sina Ghami and trainer Latif Ayodele cast a long shadow over his return. Joshua spoke movingly about them in January when confirming his intention to fight again. What was described as the most motivated and focused Joshua in years in training camp updates is the version Prenga will face on July 25. Whether the Fury-Joshua saga gets its final chapter cleanly depends on November going ahead as planned, something that the promotional dispute makes marginally less certain than it appeared 48 hours ago.

Anthony Joshua-Tyson Fury deal signed; AJ in July 25 warm-up vs. Prenga | The Ringwww.ringmagazine.com