‘If AJ gets beat, it’s all over’: Eddie Hearn explains why he picked Kristian Prenga
On July 25, at the Jeddah Super Dome in Saudi Arabia, Anthony Joshua will face Kristian Prenga. Should AJ win his comeback fight, Turki Alalsahikh has confirmed we can expect to see Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua on a date and at a venue to be confirmed. AJ is working with Team Usyk again for this fight, and when speaking at the launch press conference, Eddie Hearn revealed why they selected Prenga.
Anthony Joshua vs Kristian Prenga
Joshua (29-4, 26 KOs) has not fought since icing Jake Paul in the sixth round of their clash. Not long after that bout, AJ was involved in a fatal car crash that took the lives of his close friends Sina Ghami and Latif “Latz” Ayodele.
Prenga (20-1, 20 KOs) has power as proven by his record, but this is a monumental step up for the heavy-handed Albanian, who was last seen in action, stopping Joe Jones in the first round on February 21 this year.
Joshua vs Prenga: Eddie Hearn reveals why
Talking at the launch press conference for Anthony Joshua vs Kristian Prenga, Eddie Hearn discussed picking Prenga as the opponent:
“Look at the knockout record. It’s 20 wins, 20 knockouts. But I’ve got to sell a fight. We know we’re not picking this guy because he was once a unified world heavyweight champion or because he has a string of fantastic wins. But I need a big, strong lumpo that can punch; he’s dangerous, and he’s coming to win.
“And that’s why we picked Prenga. We picked Prenga to win, as in we must win. I’m not picking Prenga, so it’s a 50/50 fight, and by the way, if AJ gets beat, it’s all over. Forget the Fury fight, but the career’s virtually done.”
Joshua vs Prenga would not have been on many 2026 bingo cards, but here we are. It will be great to see Joshua back in the ring after everything he’s gone through, and many will be hoping he impresses so we finally see AJ vs Tyson Fury.
Featured Image Credit:
Esther Lin / Most Valuable Promotions
Ricky Carroll
Freelance Writer and Digital Marketer, spending most of his time waiting for Andy Cruz to win a world title. Also watches YouTube videos of Lennox Lewis fights on a daily basis.