Joshua’s Return to the Ring
Anthony Joshua is set to make his first appearance of 2026 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, facing Kristian Prenga. This fight is seen as a potential precursor to a highly anticipated heavyweight clash with Tyson Fury later in the year. Joshua, a two-time world champion and Olympic gold medalist, enters the bout with a professional record of 29 wins, 26 by stoppage, and four losses.
Prenga, an unbeaten knockout artist, brings an impressive record of 20 victories, all achieved by stoppage, with only one defeat. Despite his record, Prenga has not faced an opponent of Joshua’s caliber. The upcoming fight is significant for Joshua, marking his return after a car crash in Nigeria that resulted in the deaths of his close friends, Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele. Joshua appeared pensive as he emerged for his ring walk, with his pre-ring walk package paying homage to his friends.
The potential showdown between Joshua and Fury has been a decade in the making, with contracts reportedly signed for a blockbuster event expected later this year. The question remains whether Prenga could cause an upset and disrupt these plans.
Expert Predictions and Fight Dynamics
Boxing figures have offered their predictions for the Joshua vs. Prenga fight. Many anticipate a victory for Joshua, with several expecting a stoppage. Natasha Jonas, a former two-weight world champion, believes Joshua will win by a late stoppage, advising him to be cautious early in the fight due to Prenga’s history of early stoppages.
Carl Frampton, another former two-weight world champion, predicted the fight would conclude by the third or fourth round, favoring Joshua. Josh Kelly, IBF light-middleweight world champion, highlighted Joshua’s mental resilience following recent events and stated that a performing Joshua would be a difficult opponent for anyone. Adam Smith, a commentator, expects Joshua to deal with Prenga emphatically within the first four rounds, noting Prenga’s lack of experience at Joshua’s level.
Trainer Adam Booth described Prenga as a fascinating opponent, acknowledging his background as a tough unbeaten kickboxer. Booth expects Joshua to appear fresh, establish his jab early, and secure a clean win. Former super-featherweight world champion Barry Jones suggested that any version of Joshua would be too much for Prenga, predicting a stoppage within three or four rounds.
Other predictions include Tony Bellew, a former cruiserweight world champion, who foresees a brutal knockout for Joshua, not extending past the third round. Darren Barker, a former middleweight world champion, also predicted an early, brutal Joshua win within three rounds. Trainer Dave Coldwell believes Joshua will win whenever he chooses, viewing the fight as a run-out for him, potentially lasting four or five rounds. Presenter Ade Oladipo predicted a knockout for Joshua between rounds three and five, while former lightweight world champion Anthony Crolla expects Joshua to knock Prenga out in three rounds, acknowledging Prenga represents a significant step up in competition.
Undercard Bouts and Event Details
The event in Jeddah also featured other boxing matches. Hamzah Sheeraz defended his WBO super-middleweight crown against Simon Zachenhuber. The fight was described as scrappy, with Sheeraz ultimately winning on points, though one judge scored it a draw. Sheeraz landed quality blows and body shots, despite speculation about a potential injury to his right hand.
Earlier, Josh Kelly defended his IBF 154lb title in a challenging 12-round decision against Caoimhín Agyarko. Kelly boxed smoothly in the early rounds but was caught multiple times in the middle rounds. Despite a one-point deduction in the fifth round, Kelly secured the win with judges scoring it 114-113 and 115-112 twice.
The main event, Joshua vs. Prenga, is set to follow these undercard bouts. Radio commentary for the fight from Jeddah will begin around 20:30 BST on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds, with live text commentary starting at 19:30 on the BBC Sport website and app.
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Source: foxsports.com
