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Eddie Hearn calls Prenga risky for Joshua

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Anthony Joshua and Kristian Prenga promotional poster for July 25 Riyadh fight

“The plan for AJ is to beat Prenga, beat Tyson Fury and fight for the world heavyweight title,” Eddie Hearn told IFL TV.

Prenga has quietly established a record that has featured constant multiple knockouts and has recently been linked to several heavyweight fights. Hearn admitted that Joshua cannot overlook him, even though most fans are already focusing on Fury.

“He’s been in a few heavyweight fights. I think he’s got 22 wins, 21 knockouts, something like that,” Hearn said. “Decent fighter. Not elite heavyweight, but marginal world level. Risky. Can punch.”

Joshua comes into the fight with more pressure than Prenga. Another indigent performance, even in victory, will raise novel doubts after his knockout loss to Daniel Dubois. Meanwhile, Prenga begins his fight with only minor losses and an opportunity that could completely change his career overnight.

The next question is what version of Joshua emerges under coach Ben Davison. The aggressive striker seen taking on Francis Ngannou and Jake Paul looked very different from the hesitant fighter Dubois stopped.

Hearn expects Joshua to stop Prenga before the fight with Fury gets underway later this year.

“I think he will be inspired by an stimulating fight in the first six rounds,” Hearn said. “And when he does, I will be the most relieved because you have a fight with Tyson Fury and it will be in November.”

Hearn also said that Fury vs. Joshua is effectively agreed upon, although both heavyweights still need to win their next fights first.

“Yes, everything is fine, everything is ready,” Hearn said of Fury-Joshua. “We just have to win.”

The fight is expected to take place in the UK, with Wembley Stadium and Cardiff being discussed as possible venues for the heavyweight showdown.

Joshua has not fought since knocking out Jake Paul in the sixth round in Miami, Florida, on December 19, 2025, while Fury remains inactive following his second loss to Oleksandr Usyk.

If both heavyweights go through with their scheduled return fights, their long-delayed fight will still rank among boxing’s biggest events.

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Canelo Alvarez admits he made one huge ‘mistake’ in fight with Terence Crawford: ‘That’s it’

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Canelo Alvarez admits he made one big ‘mistake’ against Terence Crawford: “That’s it”

Canelo Alvarez pinpointed exactly where he went wrong in his match against Terence Crawford, vowing to correct such mistakes and deliver a better performance in his next match.

The Mexican suffered a unanimous decision loss to “Bud” last September, losing the undisputed super middleweight crown in convincing fashion.

Moreover, Crawford moved up two weight classes after a points victory over Israil Madrimov, thanks to which he won the WBA super welterweight world title in August 2024.

In other words, the American was a sizable underdog before the Canelo fight, having remained undefeated since being conquered unanimously scored by Dmitry Bivol in 2022

It wasn’t quite as one-sided this time, but Crawford nonetheless seemed to be the faster and more skillful fighter during larger periods of competition.

Talks of a potential rematch were thwarted, however, when Crawford announced his retirement in December, meaning all four of his major 168-pound titles became vacant.

However, if there was a second match left on the table, Canelo believes he would make the necessary changes to win.

A 35-year-old man in particular told Inside the Ring that he wouldn’t focus so much on Crawford’s style, but rather on his own strengths.

“Sometimes your body doesn’t respond the way you want it to [it to]. But I know what my mistakes are [were]and I can adjust everything to make everything perfect.

“I see a lot of mistakes I made. I tried to be faster because of his style and everything. No, I just have to do my job and that’s it.”

Instead of a rematch with Crawford, Canelo is now preparing to face WBC super middleweight world champion Christian Mbilli on September 12 in Riyad, Saudi Arabia.

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Noel Mikaelian must fight David Benavidez or he will lose the WBC belt

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Image: Mauricion Sulaiman To Noel Mikaelian: Fight Benavidez Or Get Stripped

Mauricio Sulaiman has made clear the WBC’s position on Noel Mikaelian’s reported plans to continue his unification fight with Jai Opetaia.

The WBC president said Mikaelian must follow the sanctioning body’s order to fight David Benavidez. If he chooses Opetaia instead, he will no longer be recognized as the WBC cruiserweight champion.


“The WBC order is Mikaelian against Benavidez. That’s all. If he fights again, he will renounce his obligations to the WBC,” Sulaiman said Boxing Scene.

The ruling creates a major setback for a fight that is widely reported to be close to being over. BoxingScene reported Friday that negotiations for a Mikaelian-Opetaia fight later this year will be completed on the Turki Alalshikh-backed Ring Magazine card.

The WBC formally ordered Mikaelian (28-3, 12 KO) to defend against Benavidez (32-0, 26 KO) after the American requested mandatory status. Sulaiman said the regulation leaves little room for alternative plans.

Benavidez recently met with Sulaiman in Mexico and expressed his desire to pursue the opportunity to unify the cruiserweight division, while Dmitry Bivol’s next move remains tied to other commitments.

While Mikaelian did not set any deadline for making commitments, Sulaiman indicated that the sanctioning body intends to move the situation forward.

“Not at this time. I will be talking to all managers. This is a top priority. I look forward to making sure this happens,” Sulaiman said.

The comments put Mikaelian in a complex situation. A fight against Opetaia would likely be seen as a better chance at unification, but continuing with those plans would cost him the WBC championship unless the sanctioning body changes course.

The WBC’s position is basic: Mikaelian’s next fight must be against Benavidez if he wants to remain champion.

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Last update: 2026/06/01 at 23:35

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Daniel Dubois summarizes Usyk’s performance against Rico Verhoeven

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Daniel Dubois sums up Usyk’s performance against Rico Verhoeven

Daniel Dubois gives a unique account of how Oleksandr Usyk, his former opponent, secured an 11th round stoppage victory over Rico Verhoeven.

The Ukrainian successfully defended his WBC heavyweight title last week, but his victory was put under the microscope after referee Mark Lyson announced a controversial stoppage.

Initially, many suspected that the stoppage had come too soon, as Verhoeven recovered from a ponderous knockdown in the 11th round.

The former kickboxer gave an incredible performance, exceeding most expectations, but was ultimately rejected after the bell sounded to end round 11.

It must be admitted that the referee had already made his decision and had every right to stop the fight at this point.

However, the nature of his decision was met with a backlash, with many arguing that Verhoeven should be given the chance to fight for his shield.

However, Dubois said he knows exactly what it’s like to be on the verge of stopping Usyk Boxing King’s Media that there is no problem with the result.

“It was good. I think Usyk did what he had to do. It was a good win. I think [the stoppage] “He was right.”

Later talking to DiscussionSPORTThe Briton was asked whether he thought the performance showed that his former rival was past his prime.

“Maybe. I think so. He looked like he was struggling a little. But he won.”

Dubois was first stopped by Usyk in 2023 after the ninth round their rematch in July 2025 ended in a more decisive fifth-round knockout.

Dubois has since gone on to dethrone Fabio Wardley, and their brutal fight last month earned him an 11th round stoppage to claim the WBO heavyweight title.

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