What To Know
- Former world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua returns to boxing after being sidelined by injuries from a serious auto accident in Nigeria on Saturday in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
- Joshua will face Kristian Prenga of Albania in a fight intended to test his readiness for an anticipated matchup later this year against Tyson Fury.
- Joshua vs Prenga: The DAZN PPV fight starts at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT in the United States.
Saturday’s return of former world champion Anthony Joshua against little-known Kristian Prenga of Albania can’t be called anything but a tune-up fight. But it’s a tune-up fight with significance and purpose.
The former world heavyweight champion’s high-stakes return against Prenga takes place at the Jeddah Superdome in Saudi Arabia, a 40,000-seat arena where Joshua faced current unified champion Oleksandr Usyk in 2023, going the distance in a split decision loss.
It’s all on DAZN Boxing PPV for your entertainment for the low, low price of $59.99 in American dollars and 20 pounds in the UK. The fight is included at no extra charge for DAZN Ultimate subscribers. The start time of the main card in the U.S is 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT, with main event ringwalks somewhere around 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT.
My job isn’t to convince you to pay up to watch the fight rather than wait for the highlights or watch it on social media on Saturday afternoon. But there are real stakes involved for both participants.
Overwhelming Odds for Joshua vs Prenga – But, Heavvyweights
While Joshua of London (29-4, 26 KOs) is an overwhelming favorite at anywhere from 40 to 1 to 25 to 1, while Prenga of Albania, fighting out of New Jersey (20-1, 20 KOs) is a 50 to 1 underdog to win by decision, but a mere 17 to 1 underdog to win by knockout.
Compare it to this famous mismatch gone wild.
Mike Tyson was a 42-to-1 favorite against James “Buster” Douglas in their 1990 bout, with Douglas as the 42-to-1 underdog. Initially, many casinos refused to take action due to the perceived mismatch, and those that did eventually set Douglas’s odds between 27-to-1 and 42-to-1.
A lot has changed inside and outside the ring for Joshua since the end of 2025. After blasting out upstart challenger Jake Paul as a last-minute replacement opponent in December, Joshua was heading for a long-awaited matchup with another former world champion, Tyson Fury.
Then Joshua was involved in a horrific auto accident in late December in Nigeria. Two longtime members of Joshua’s team and his personal friends Sina Ghami and Latif “Latz” Ayodele, were killed. Joshua suffered major injuries.
It was unknown for weeks whether Joshua would be able to return to boxing and whether he would ever fully recover both physically and mentally. Thanks to support from Usyk, who welcomed Joshua into his camp as a brother as he prepared for his fight with Rico Verhoeven, Joshua is refreshed and more eager than ever to maximize the remainder of his boxing career.
Given the circumstances, it is reasonable and a wise move for Joshua to get in the ring and feel things out. Prenga got the call and eagerly accepted the offer of his lifetime.
Who is Kristian Prenga?
But it’s boxing, and it’s heavyweight boxing. All of Prenga’s wins have been knockouts, although against limited opposition on the Atlantic City club circuit. Joshua has been caught and dropped in his career, most memorably by Andy Ruiz Jr. in 2019 and Daniel Dubois in 2024.
Joshua’s road to the fight with Tyson Fury leads through Prenga. If he loses, it will be the biggest banana peel fight slip of all time.
During training camp and the fight lead-up, Joshua has been full of confidence as he approaches his return in July, and nothing has changed during fight week.
Although Joshua has talked about the superfight with Fury all week, Joshua refused to let host Jamie Ward ask him about Fury at Thursday’s final news conference.
“No, no, no,” said Joshua. “We don’t want to talk about Tyson Fury, respectfully. I’ve done all the media I can about what the future holds. Our focus [is] on him [Prenga] and his team, respectfully.”
” We’ve been working since January, working hard, keeping my head down, aligning all my stars, and I’m fully focused,” said Joshua. “I understand there’s a bigger picture. The goal is to conquer the universe. But first, we must conquer Earth. And this is my target here,” as he pointed across the stage at Prenga.
“I understand there’s a big picture. The goal is to conquer the universe, right? But first, we must conquer Earth, and this is my target here.
“It’s not only him. I also have to look at his team. We’re focusing on the team. My coach against his coach. My physio against his physio. My strategist against his strategist. This fighter against that fighter, and may the best man win.”
Prenga’s agent Keith Sullivan said Joshua didn’t have to choose a big puncher like Prenga as his opponent. Sauerland said it is a big mistake.
“You could have taken a lesser puncher, someone who doesn’t have as many knockouts as KP does, someone who doesn’t get into the ring with the confidence and the dedication and the commitment to his craft that KP does, and quite frankly, someone who doesn’t come into the ring with the responsibility and the weight of his home country, Albania, on his shoulders,” said Sullivan.
“This is a come-to-life, real-life, Rocky moment. KP has an opportunity to change his life forever. On Saturday night, one person has everything to gain, and the other has everything to lose. The confidence is on this side of the table. The pressure of that lies in your hands,” said Sullivan.
“Every upset starts in boxing with, ‘He can’t do it. He’s not strong enough. He’s not powerful enough. He doesn’t have the footwork. He doesn’t have the experience.’ We’re going to find out Saturday night if the boxing history books have room for one more chapter of another upset,” concluded Sullivan.
Prenga said he grew up watching Joshua. “I have seen every boxer has its weaknesses and its faults in the ring, no matter who you are. I’ve seen everything.
“I’ve said it before, I respect Anthony Joshua very much. I grew up watching all his fights. I’ve seen his weaknesses. I’ve seen what he does best. On Saturday night, I will show exactly what I what I paid attention to.”
Anthony Joshua Locked And Loaded
Joshua is properly respectful and humble in his public statements, and that didn’t change on Thursday, saying he had studied the fight with Prenga.
“You know, I’ve been in the ring with some of the quickest heavyweights, some of the fittest heavyweights. I’ve fought some of the strongest heavyweights. I’ve fought contenders. I’ve fought champions. I’ve been knocked down. I’ve been knocked out.
“I stand strong today. I’m ready for the challenge one million percent. We’re gonna find out Saturday,” saying he wanted all of Prenga’s vocal Albanian fans in Jeddah to be there making noise and bringing some (badly needed) excitement to the arena.
Everyone knows Saturday’s fight is merely the prologue chapter to the blockbuster thriller novel waiting for a release date featuring Joshua and Tyson Fury.
Tyson Fury Also In the Ring This Weekend
Fury also has a fight this weekend on Friday in Thailand, a fight he must also win. Fury will get into the ring with 46-year-old Polish heavyweight Mariusz Wach, who’s still an active fight with a record of 1-2 over the last 12 months.
Fury’s fight will not be broadcast. It’s being produced for the upcoming season 2 of the Netflix reality series “At Home With the Furys,” which is scheduled to air just prior to the anticipated Joshua vs Fury matchup. I’m happy Netflix is saving me from feeling obligated to watch and write about it. https://www.netflix.com/title/81615144
What I’m not happy about is making Joshua vs Prenga a pay-per-view fight. DAZN wants to wet its beak before passing the baton to Netflix, but it would get more out of featuring the rising stars on the Matchroom Boxing roster as an investment in its future.
Undercard Matchups Include Sheeraz and Kelly
Those undercard matchups have odds even more lopsided than Joshua vs Prenga.
WBO World Super Middleweight champion Hamzah Sheeraz of England (23-0-1, 19 KOs) faces Simon Zachenhuber of Germany (29-1, 18 KOs). Zachenhuber has fought domestic opponents in Germany for the lion’s share of his career. It will be ugly.
IBF World Super Welterweight champion Josh Kelly of England (18-1-1, 9 KOs) defends the title he won by defeating Bakhram Murtazaliev against Caoimhin Agyarko of Belfast (18-0, 7 KOs). Agyarko won a split decision over Ismael Davies to take on Kelly. He should give a decent account of himself, but this is Kelly’s to lose.
Gayle Falkenthal is an award-winning boxing journalist with more than four dozen awards for both written and video coverage from the Boxing Writers Association of America, Society of Professional Journalists, and San Diego Press Club, where she is the past president. She is the only woman journalist who is a full voting member of the BWAA. She is the Boxing Editor for NY Fights based in San Diego, California.
