Joshua Must Neutralize Prenga's 20 KOs to Keep Fury Fight on Track

Q: With promotional disputes brewing, is Joshua's true battle against Prenga in the ring, or the boxing politics threatening his future?

Joshua’s immediate true battle is in the ring against Prenga, but the politics around Tyson Fury are the bigger threat to what comes next. That is because Saturday’s fight is the gatekeeper to everything. Joshua and Eddie Hearn have both made clear that there is “no future” unless he beats Prenga, and beats him convincingly. Prenga is not elite on paper, but his 20 knockouts in 20 wins, recent run of first-round stoppages, and heavyweight size make him a dangerous comeback opponent for a fighter returning from a long layoff, a serious car crash, and personal trauma. Hearn’s warning to “take this guy out before he takes you out” is not just promotion; it reflects the real risk of one punch undoing the entire rebuild. At the same time, the politics are already clouding Joshua’s next step. The Fury fight is reportedly signed in principle and heavily backed by Turki Alalshikh, but there is open conflict over who controls it. Dana White has claimed Zuffa Boxing will promote the event, while Hearn has called that “contractually impossible” and said he negotiated the deal himself. There are also unresolved questions over venue, broadcaster, and promotional authority. Still, those disputes matter only if Joshua wins. Boxing politics can delay, reshape or complicate Fury, but Prenga can cancel it outright. So the sharper answer is that Joshua’s real danger on Saturday is Prenga; his bigger long-term obstacle is the business fight waiting outside the ropes.

3 articles · Updated · Sky Sports · Jul 25

Eddie Hearn said Anthony Joshua must stop Kristian Prenga quickly in Saturday's Saudi Arabia bout, warning the Albanian's 20-0 knockout record makes him dangerous despite being an underdog.
That risk matters because a Joshua win is expected to lock in a Tyson Fury showdown in November, with Hearn calling Prenga the first major hurdle in a wider bid to regain a world heavyweight title in 2027.
Joshua echoed that focus at the pre-fight press conference, calling Prenga his "first checkpoint" and saying there is no bigger future unless he gets through Saturday night.
Hearn said Joshua remains motivated after a difficult seven months and believes the path now is clear: beat Prenga, then Fury, before targeting a fragmented heavyweight title picture next year.