2 hours ago
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Preamble
Anthony Joshua’s first conflict of 2026 – a planned tune-up earlier a showdown pinch Tyson Fury – comes against precisely nan type of force you’d expect. Kristian Prenga is simply a strapping 6ft 5in Albanian pinch an eye-catching 20-1 (all 20 wins by KO) grounds that contains a sum full of zero elite opponents.
But clasp on, Prenga ultras mightiness ask: erstwhile precisely did Britain’s erstwhile two-time world champion past spot disconnected a existent heavyweight threat himself? Joshua’s past 3 fights are a sixth-round stoppage of YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul, a sadistic KO nonaccomplishment to Daniel Dubois and a two-round demolition of mixed-martial creator Francis Ngannou. You person to spell backmost to December 2023 to find nan past clip AJ defeated a proven heavyweight contender successful nan style of Otto Wallin.
Joshua is besides returning to nan ringing aft a fatal car clang successful Nigeria past December that killed 2 of his adjacent friends. Although he’s recovered from his injuries, it’s understandable that nan 36-year-old’s early successful nan athletics was questioned aft specified a traumatic experience. No wonderment he wants to shingle disconnected nan ringing rust earlier a long-awaited bout against Fury.
Prenga is simply a whopping underdog against a combatant pinch AJ’s credentials. An Olympic golden medallist who’s beaten Joseph Parker, Alexander Povetkin, Wladimir Klitschko – and gone 24 beautiful competitory rounds pinch Oleksandr Usyk – should person nary problem polishing disconnected a foe who’s only gone beyond six rounds once. (And that was erstwhile Prenga mislaid an eight-round determination successful his 5th pro fight.)
This is heavyweight boxing, truthful you ne'er 100% know. But it would beryllium a awesome upset if moreover nan late-career type of AJ were to beryllium earnestly troubled by Prenga successful Jeddah.
Ring walks are – apparently – at 10.52pm (BST). Lots of updates earlier then! Feel free to email your thoughts.
