Anthony Joshua’s two-fight deal in 2026 has been announced, and Deontay Wilder is once again not part of the Briton’s plans, despite his resurgence.

Wilder’s team have now reacted to the news that Joshua will instead face Kristian Prenga ahead of his fight with Tyson Fury later in the year.

‘AJ’ was drafted by Fury following the latter’s victory over Arslanbek Makhmudov two weeks ago, but he has refused to publicly agree to a long-awaited showdown without a warm-up fight or a fully negotiated agreement.

Since then, another of Joshua’s long-time rivals, Wilder, has been linked as a potential summer opponent to prepare him for a clash with the “Gypsy King.” But on Monday it was different confirmed that the two-time world champion will face the lesser-known Albanian Prenga in exchange for less risk.

In an interview with Sky Sports BoxingShelly Finkel, who manages The Bronze Bomber, revealed that she is neither disappointed nor surprised by Joshua’s opponent, simply summing up the situation as “the same senior story.”

“You can’t be disappointed with something that never happened. Eddie never contacted us and Joshua obviously had no intention of fighting Deontay Wilder. Same senior story, just a modern date.”

While Hearn may not have been ready to fight Wilder, his goal is to defeat the former WBC heavyweight world champion for one of his other heavyweight challengers – Jarrell Miller.

As for Joshua, he will face Prenga on Saturday, July 25 in Riyad, Saudi Arabia, and will be looking to fight one of the biggest fights in British boxing history.

Roy Jones Jr believes Moses Itauma is the most “exhilarating heavyweight” since Mike Tyson, but he named one man who would perhaps derail his explosiveness.

Despite not having fought any top-level fighters, Itauma is widely regarded as a future world champion who can reign supreme for many years to come.

The 21-year-old easily scored his biggest win to date in March steamrolling the typically durable Jermaine Franklin in five rounds.

In this way, Itauma became a mandatory challenger to the winner of the Fabio Wardley vs. Daniel Dubois fight, which will take place on May 9 for Wardley’s WBO heavyweight world title.

However, at this point in his promising career, the precocious talent had yet to prove himself at a world-class level, and his only two notable victories were victories over the faded Dillian Whyte and the overmatched Demsey McKean.

Nevertheless, in both cases, in 2025 and 2024 respectively, Itauma finished in the first two rounds and showed his potential at the world level.

After passing the eye test, heavyweight legend Jones believes Itauma is capable of knocking out anyone in the heavyweight division except Alexander Usyk, who still holds the WBC, IBF and WBA world titles.

I’m talking to Grosvenor CasinoJones explains that Usyk’s elusiveness and experience will likely cause problems for the Briton, presenting him with a style he has never encountered before.

“Is Moses Itauma the most exhilarating heavyweight since Mike Tyson? Right now, yes, I think so. He has the explosive punching power that Mike Tyson had. If you can hit them before they hit you, most of the time you’ll knock them out.”

“That’s what Mike did. So if [Itauma] if he does this, he will knock out most heavyweights. However, in Usyk’s case, he’s a bit difficult to hit.

“Moses gives all the heavyweights a difficult time. You can’t say he beat them until you put them in front of him [him]because you haven’t actually seen it cracked yet, but it’s the only one I can see [giving] For him, Usyk is the biggest problem.”

While many consider Usyk vs. Itauma to be the most breathtaking fight in heavyweight boxing, it’s difficult to imagine the pair ever crossing paths in a competitive sense.

“I want to fight so bad to fight 😩 I feel even more now that I have the belt. CHAMPION wants to fight. SOMEONE RUNS THE SCRAP” said Ryan Garcia on X.

Ryan probably talks a lot so as not to get stuck in a mandatory defense that pays a pittance. By demanding Conor Benn or celebrity rematches, he forces the hand of his promoters.

The reality is that Ryan holds the WBC belt, but the division is currently a waiting game. If someone like Turki Alalshikh doesn’t find Benn worth the investment despite his struggles with Regis Prograis, Ryan could be in for a close fight, which he definitely doesn’t want.

If Ryan had a “fight anyone, anywhere” mentality, he wouldn’t be in this situation. “Sugar Ray Robinson” would have already signed a contract to fight the most perilous guy available to prove his point.

Ryan’s current situation is a perfect example of a player falling into the trap of his own financial expectations. Because he has such a huge fan base, he feels like he can’t make a “normal” title defense if it wasn’t a blockbuster event.

It’s telling that Ryan’s interest in Benn increased right after Benn appeared to be the one to beat against Regis Prograis on April 11. It’s a business-first attitude. He is looking for the highest payout with the least technical risk.

Rejecting Rolly Romero as an option but going after the guy whose eyes the 37-year-old Prograis just slashed, Ryan shows his hand. He wants a name he thinks he can easily beat.