Boxing
Anthony Joshua wants Kristian Prenga to hate him
By actively demanding complete disrespect from Prenga, Joshua is attempting to create an artificial sense of threat. He needs a reason to feel threatened. He’s practically begging Prenga to create a hostile environment because the friction alone will get his adrenaline pumping and force him to take the threat seriously.
This is a psychological tactic of masking the reality of the situation. If he can convince himself that this is a bitter, personal grudge rather than a routine victory meant to lead to a signature Tyson Fury hit, he can motivate himself to do grueling road work and stay locked up during camp.
When you’re a multiple-time heavyweight champion and you’re looking across the stage at someone who is essentially a club fighter who was brought in to provide a safe and sound option for recovery from massive trauma, it’s incredibly hard to find that true competitive fire.
The reality of this matchup is standard matchmaking practice aimed at reclaiming a major asset in the win column, but Joshua cannot afford to treat this like a sparring session. If he goes in there calmly and does all the things, then there will be great upset.
Prenga looked absolutely stunned today, standing next to a guy who has been selling out stadiums for a decade. It’s strenuous to play the role of a menacing, disrespectful villain when your eyes are as large as saucers and staring at the platform you’ve been given.
This is the loophole in Joshua’s plan. You can try to goad your opponent all you want, but if the guy on the other side of the stage is basically cheerful to be given the opportunity and the paycheck, you can’t force him to show real, genuine malice.
Prengi’s manager may utter fine promotional phrases about miscalculations and grave digging, but when the players look into each other’s eyes, the real active is revealed. Prenga looked like a guy who won the lottery, not a guy who wanted to start a war.
This puts Joshua in a hard position for the next two months of camp. If Prenga doesn’t give him the hostile energy he’s looking for, Joshua will have to find another way to motivate himself to get out of first gear on July 25.
“It’s crazy when they talk shit to me God punish them.”
FightHype interpreted the post as Crawford reacting to McGregor’s defeat, and many fans reached the same conclusion given the timing.
The two have exchanged words in recent weeks after McGregor claimed Crawford turned down a $200 million two-fight boxing and MMA deal. Crawford rejected that version of events, saying no such offer was ever presented to him.
Crawford did not mention McGregor by name or elaborate on his message, but the post quickly spread across social media.
The reaction was divided. Some boxing fans viewed the message as Crawford reminding McGregor of their recent feud, while many MMA fans criticized the retired four-division champion for appearing to celebrate McGregor’s injury and defeat. Others accused Crawford of invoking divine punishment over a sporting result, calling the post unnecessary.
Neither Crawford nor McGregor has commented further since the exchange reignited discussion between boxing and MMA fans.
Dana White ripped the UFC production team after they mistakenly identified boxing star Shakur Stevenson during Saturday night’s UFC 329 broadcast, saying the company continues to struggle with celebrity recognition despite having produced events for more than two decades.
While discussing the overall production during his post-fight press conference, White praised the show’s presentation before abruptly shifting to one mistake that clearly irritated him.
“I tell you all the time, my production team, we just did the White House. We built a fing arena on the South Lawn of the White House, and it was the greatest fing thing in the world to be there live and to watch it on TV,” White said.
“I just paid Shakur Stevenson a shitload of money. And for some reason, we can’t figure this celebrity s*** out. They put him up as a fing OKC NBA player. Are you fing kidding me?”
White continued venting about the error, saying the UFC has become notorious for misidentifying celebrities shown on its broadcasts.
“We are the absolute worst to ever do the celebrity thing. When we put celebrities up, we are the worst. I just had this fing debate in the back with my guys while I was screaming at everybody back there. They said, ‘No, soccer’s worse. Soccer shows the people, and they don’t put up any graphics.’ Oh no. We put up fing graphics and put the wrong guy’s name on it. We win. We’re the worst ever to f***ing do it.”
Stevenson attended UFC 329 as one of the event’s notable guests following his growing relationship with Zuffa Boxing. White has repeatedly praised the undefeated former three-division world champion and has made him one of the most recognizable boxing figures associated with the promotion’s new venture.
The broadcast mistake quickly drew attention online, with boxing fans sharing clips of White’s profanity-filled reaction and criticizing the production error. The incident also highlighted Zuffa Boxing’s increasing crossover with UFC events as White continues expanding his presence in professional boxing.
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Last Updated on 2026/07/12 at 2:02 AM
Tim Bradley plans to buy the Aug. 22 welterweight title fight between Rolly Romero and Teofimo Lopez, but he doesn’t believe the matchup offers enough value to justify a pay-per-view purchase. The former two-division world champion said he expects many boxing fans to pirate the event instead.
Bradley admitted he’ll still order the card but questioned whether it belongs behind a paywall.
“Look, I ain’t going to lie, I’m going to buy it. But yeah, a lot of people gonna pirate this mug for real because I personally don’t think it’s pay-per-view worthy,” said Bradley on his YouTube channel.
He also questioned how Teofimo landed another title opportunity after coming up short in his previous outing.
“Teo coming off a loss getting a title shot. Yeah, it’s boxing. It’s boxing,” Bradley said.
He also pointed to Rolly’s inactivity, noting that the WBA welterweight champion will be returning after roughly 15 months out of the ring.
“Rolly Romero haven’t fought since what? May 2025. We in 2026, ain’t we? Damn, that’s a long time. Whoa, man. Fifteen months before he get in the ring,” Bradley said.
Bradley said the lengthy layoff leaves uncertainty over which version of Rolly will appear on fight night. He wondered whether fans will see the patient, counterpunching style Romero used against Ryan Garcia or a more aggressive approach that looks to overwhelm opponents with power.
Bradley is saying what many fans have been posting on X since the fight was announced. A lot of them don’t believe it’s worth paying for. Some see it as a money fight between a champion who has been chasing the biggest payday of his career and a former champion coming off a one-sided loss.
Bradley’s comments echoed many of those same concerns. Fans can buy the pay-per-view or find another way to watch, but all eyes will be on Las Vegas on Aug. 22 to see if the fight proves the critics wrong.
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