Anthony Joshua and Kristian Prenga came face to face for the first time at a London press conference on Monday, where organizers confirmed that the heavyweights’ July 25 bout has been relocated within Saudi Arabia. The fight, originally announced for Riyadh, will now take place at the Jeddah Superdome and stream worldwide on DAZN.

No reason for the switch was given at the event. The card had been loosely tied to the Esports World Cup, which was recently moved from Riyadh to Paris because of the conflict in the Middle East, according to The Independent. Jeddah sits roughly 950 kilometers from Riyadh. Joshua has fought in both cities, including his 2022 rematch loss to Oleksandr Usyk in Jeddah and wins over Otto Wallin and Francis Ngannou in Riyadh.

HE Turki Alalshikh, chairman of the General Entertainment Authority and president of the Saudi Boxing Federation, said the bout has drawn growing global interest since its announcement, pointing to “growing global interest in the events hosted by the Kingdom.” The card is billed “The Comeback” and staged as part of Jeddah Calendar in collaboration with Riyadh Season.

The fight marks Joshua’s first appearance since December, when he stopped Jake Paul in six rounds in Miami. Around ten days after that bout, Joshua survived a car crash in Nigeria that killed two members of his team, strength coach Sina Ghami and trainer Latif “Latz” Ayodele.

Joshua (29-4, 26 KOs), 36, enters with a clear experience advantage. Prenga (20-1, 20 KOs), a 35-year-old Albanian based in Englewood, Up-to-date Jersey, turned professional in 2016 and has stopped every opponent he has beaten.

Joshua sets his focus

Joshua opened by thanking Alalshikh for making the fight and said he is locked onto a single objective. “I have a clear goal in mind, and I fully understand the challenge ahead of me,” he said, adding that he believes he is in the best shape possible heading into the contest. “On July 25, the better man will win.”

He described boxing as “both my profession and my passion” and said the work in camp has left him stronger. The bout is widely viewed as a tune-up for a contracted fight with Tyson Fury later this year, with reports pointing to Wembley Stadium in October or November. Fury is seeking his own warm-up in August and has said he would like it staged in Dublin.

Prenga embraces the opportunity

Prenga, who has never fought in a main event of this size, struck a respectful tone. “I have great respect for Anthony Joshua and everything he has achieved in boxing,” he said, calling Joshua “a great fighter.” He then framed the bout as his window. “Everyone has their moment, and I believe this is mine,” he said, adding that he has “never trained with this level of focus and determination before.” He vowed to deliver “a statement performance and shocking the world on July 25 in Jeddah.”

Hearn frames the comeback

Promoter Eddie Hearn used the kickoff event to present Joshua’s return as both personal and professional, set against the death of his teammates and his recovery from the crash. “Boxing is his purpose, boxing is his peace,” Hearn said, describing a fighter he believes is more driven and focused than at any previous point in his career. He called the return one of the great comebacks in the sport while cautioning that Prenga carries the power to derail the projected Fury fight.