Anthony Joshua returns to ring against Kristian Prenga in Jeddah
Anthony Joshua is set to make his return to the ring in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, facing Kristian Prenga. This bout marks Joshua’s first fight since a car crash in Nigeria claimed the lives of two close friends, Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele. The fight is anticipated to pave the way for a potential showdown with Tyson Fury.
Joshua, a two-time world champion and Olympic gold medallist, holds a record of 29 wins, with 26 by stoppage, and four losses. His opponent, Kristian Prenga, has an impressive record of 20 victories, all by stoppage, and only one defeat. However, Prenga has not faced an opponent of Joshua’s calibre before.
The fight is taking place at the 40,000-seat Jeddah Superdome, which previously hosted Joshua’s 2022 rematch with Oleksandr Usyk. Ahead of the fight, Joshua, who is 36 years old, has adopted a more relaxed approach, stating that he has been working diligently since January to prepare. He mentioned, “We have been working since January, working hard, keeping my head down and aligning all my stars. I am fully focused.”
Preparations and personal reflections
Joshua has spoken openly about coping with the deaths of Ghami, his rehabilitation coach of over ten years, and Ayodele, his personal trainer and friend. He shared that he has chosen to keep himself occupied to manage his grief, noting, “It is tough, every time I think about it, it hurts. If I stop, you let it sink in, and I am not ready for it to sink in yet.”
The fight against Prenga is seen as a crucial step towards a highly anticipated domestic clash with Tyson Fury. Fury recently secured a victory in his own warm-up bout, stopping Mariusz Wach in the seventh round by technical knockout in Pattaya, Thailand. This was Fury’s second win in as many fights this year, following a sixteen-month lay-off.
Eddie Hearn, Joshua’s promoter, has dismissed suggestions that the fight with Fury might not happen. He stated that only a defeat or injury this weekend could derail the bout, which is expected to occur in November. Hearn highlighted Joshua’s history of not pulling out of fights and his previous agreement to fight Fury.
Expert predictions for the bout
Several boxing figures have offered their predictions for the Joshua vs. Prenga fight, with most favouring a Joshua victory by stoppage. Among them:
- Natasha Jonas, a former two-weight world champion, predicts a late stoppage win for Joshua, advising caution in the early rounds due to Prenga’s history of early stoppages.
- Carl Frampton, also a former two-weight world champion, expects the fight to conclude in round three or four, with Joshua dominating.
- Josh Kelly, IBF light-middleweight world champion, commended Joshua’s resilience and believes that if Joshua performs to his potential, he can overcome any opponent.
- Adam Smith, a DAZN commentator, anticipates Joshua will emphatically deal with Prenga within the first four rounds.
- Trainer Adam Booth views Prenga as a fascinating opponent, noting his background as a tough unbeaten kickboxer, and expects a clean win for a quicker, leaner Joshua.
- Barry Jones, a former super-featherweight world champion, believes any version of Joshua will be too much for Prenga, predicting a stoppage in three or four rounds.
- Tony Bellew, a former cruiserweight world champion, foresees a brutal knockout win for Joshua that will not extend past the third round.
- Darren Barker, a former middleweight world champion, also predicts an early, brutal win for Joshua, not going past three rounds.
- Trainer Dave Coldwell suggests Joshua will win whenever he chooses, potentially lasting four or five rounds depending on Joshua’s desire to practice with his new team.
- Ade Oladipo, a DAZN presenter, predicts a knockout victory for AJ between rounds three and five.
- Anthony Crolla, a former lightweight world champion, expects Joshua to take his time and secure a knockout in three rounds, acknowledging the significant step up in competition for Prenga.
Live text commentary for the fight will begin at 19:30 BST.
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Source: bbc.com
