Former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua has announced his return to the ring, with a comeback fight against little-known Kristian Prenga scheduled for July 25 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Gatekeepers News reports that the bout marks Joshua’s first outing since a tragic car crash in Nigeria in December that claimed the lives of two of his close friends, just days after his fifth-round knockout victory over YouTuber Jake Paul.
Confirming his comeback, Joshua said he had used the time away from boxing to recover and prepare for another run at the top.
“It’s no secret I’ve taken some time to consolidate and rebuild to be ready for stepping back into the ring and this is the next step on that journey,” he said.
The 36-year-old British-Nigerian fighter has also been linked with a long-anticipated showdown against domestic rival Tyson Fury later this year — a fight many believe is years overdue.
Fueling speculation, Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh hinted the blockbuster clash has already been sealed.
“To my friends in Great Britain — it’s happening. It’s signed,” Alalshikh posted on social media, while Ring Magazine reported the fight could take place in the fourth quarter of the year.
Before any Fury meeting, Joshua must first navigate Prenga, a 35-year-old with 20 knockout wins from 21 professional fights, though he has yet to face opposition close to Joshua’s calibre.
An Olympic gold medallist at London 2012 and a two-time heavyweight world champion, Joshua boasts a record of 29 wins, including 26 knockouts, against four defeats.
He first captured the IBF heavyweight title in 2016 with a second-round knockout of Charles Martin, later unifying the division by adding the WBA, WBO and IBO belts.
Joshua suffered a shock loss to Andy Ruiz Jr in 2019 before reclaiming his titles in a rematch six months later. He then lost the belts to Oleksandr Usyk in 2021 and was beaten again in their 2022 rematch.
His title ambitions took another hit in 2024 when he lost to fellow Briton Daniel Dubois by fifth-round knockout in an IBF title bout.
Following elbow surgery and a shoulder injury, Joshua has fought only once since — the one-sided win over Jake Paul.
Meanwhile, Fury returned from a 16-month retirement earlier this month, defeating Russian Arslanbek Makhmudov by unanimous decision.
Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn has since confirmed talks have begun for a potential Joshua-Fury bout in November, raising hopes of one of British boxing’s biggest fights finally becoming reality.
