Anthony Joshua’s next opponent believes he can still ruin one of the biggest heavyweight fights that British boxing has spent more than a decade trying to build.

Kristian Prenga says the long-awaited clash between Joshua and Tyson Fury will never happen when he steps into the ring with the former world champion later this year.

Speaking exclusively to World Boxing News, the heavyweight outsider insisted that all current discussions about Joshua vs. Fury are premature.

“I understand, but he made a massive mistake again by choosing me,” Prenga told WBN.

“What’s worse is that it will cost him the fight against Fury. Maybe Fury will fight me instead?”

Anthony Joshua vs. Tyson Fury

For years, boxing fans have been waiting for Joshua and Fury to finally settle their rivalry in the ring.

The fight endured failed negotiations, a title loss, promotional disputes and repeated falls before both sides finally began to inch closer to signing a deal later that year.

However, as WBN previously noted, staging interim fights for both heavyweights carries significant risks given the punishment each fighter has already suffered in their careers.

Joshua went down four times before being stopped by Daniel Dubois, and Fury has repeatedly hit the canvas against Deontay Wilder, Francis Ngannou and Oleksandr Usyk in recent years.

Eddie Hearn admitted as much himself when discussing Joshua’s return plans with Sky Sports.

“In my opinion, if either fighter loses, you won’t be able to fight this fight,” Hearn said, referring to the risks associated with Fury fighting Joshua and the need for both fighters to take transition fights first.

Fury is currently considering a return to the ring in August ahead of his fight with Joshua, while the former unified champion is already committed to his own comeback fight against Prengi.

A timing like this makes a Fury-Joshua clash before December increasingly unlikely, assuming both heavyweights make it to the fight intact at all.

Kristian Prenga’s warning

As WBN has previously stated, Prenga will enter the fight as an afterthought as part of Joshua’s broader plan.

The US-based Albanian, who has 20 KOs out of 20 wins, was selected for a reason and now must prove that he poses a much greater threat than Eddie Hearn clearly expects.

At this point in Joshua’s career, nothing can be considered routine anymore.

The Londoner has been through too many wars and too many setbacks to assume anything is certain, especially in the heavyweight division where one blow can ruin months of planning.

Prenga may go into the fight as a major outsider, but the knockout artist is 6ft 1in, has power and arrives with the full confidence that he can change the direction of British heavyweight boxing overnight.

“That’s my plan, but honestly, I’m just focusing on preparing for the fight with Joshua and then we’ll see what happens.”

When asked directly how he sees Joshua vs. Fury going if the fight does eventually happen, Prenga completely dismissed the possibility.

“I don’t know, but that fight will never happen after my fight with Joshua.”

Heavyweight danger

The heavyweight division has repeatedly shown how quickly major plans can fall apart.

Joshua and Fury were once expected to fight for the undisputed heavyweight championship, before years of delays, failures and boxing politics continued to push the rivalry further apart.

Now the fight is finally approaching again, there is growing concern that another defeat could completely destroy the event.

Fury’s former opponent Otto Wallin recently told WBN that he still finds this fight complex to predict because of how vulnerable both heavyweights have looked in recent years.

“Joshua obviously has a forceful punch and Fury is a very good fighter, so it’s an intriguing fight,” Wallin explained to World Boxing News.

Despite his confidence, Prenga still showed respect for both British heavyweights and rejected suggestions that they were too ancient to fight seriously together.

“Not really. They may not be at the top of their game anymore, but they’re still two of the best heavyweights in the world.”

About the author

Phil Jay is the editor-in-chief of World Boxing News (WBN) and a boxing veteran with over 15 years of experience. Read the full biography.

This weekend at the Pyramids of Giza, Oleksandr Usyk and Rico Verhoeven clash in one of the strangest heavyweight title fights in contemporary boxing history.

Usyk enters the ring as the former undisputed cruiserweight and heavyweight champion, undefeated in 24 fights. He is considered one of the best pound-for-pound boxers of this era. Verhoeven, although widely considered one of the greatest heavyweight kickboxers of all time, only had one professional boxing fight.

It’s no surprise that the current champion is the clear favorite, but can the Peter Fury-trained kickboxer from the Netherlands actually win? These are the key questions if the unthinkable happens and Verhoeven manages to shake up the heavyweight division like never before.

Will Verhoeven become heavyweight champion?

Verhoeven will become world heavyweight champion if he defeats Usyk and wins the controversial WBC belt. However, there will be no unification immediately, even though the Ukrainian also holds IBF and WBA titles.

Each sanctioning body has taken a different stance in this fight. The WBC fully supports the contest, much to the disapproval of fans, analysts and challengers. The WBA will consider Usyk’s victory a successful defense, but if he loses, the championship committee will meet to decide on further steps. Verhoeven will not become a champion in the ring because he is not currently ranked in the organization.

Similarly, the IBF granted Usyk a special exception to take the fight. However, if he loses, the belt will immediately be considered vacant.

Where is Usyk heading?

There are no reports or indications of a rematch clause, although a second fight could happen even if it is not contracted. In truth, the great Ukrainian didn’t have many other options on the board, which is such a clear favorite that a loss would not only dramatically change the landscape of the division, but also affect his legacy.

Fights against top contenders like Agit Kabayel and Moses Itauma would lose a lot of interest without belts on the line. So retirement would be a stern consideration – at 39, the southpaw wants three more fights, but that could be cut down to one.

Who benefits the most?

Outside of Verhoeven, there are a number of top heavyweights in the division who would benefit almost immediately. Regular WBA champion Murat Gassiev has a chance to become a full champion, and the winner of the Richard Torrez Jr vs. Frank Sanchez fight, which is on the card as the final IBF eliminator, would be first in line to fight for the vacant IBF belt.

Mandatory challenger for the WBC title Kabayel may be pushing for a fight with Verhoeven as he is currently scheduled to face Usyk. The youthful Itauma also holds a prime position with a number of sanctioning bodies, meaning his path to a world title could accelerate dramatically.

Finally, Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury could see their signed year-end fight take on even more importance, with promoters and sanctioning bodies potentially influencing the image of a vacant belt or top ranking position.

Would this be the biggest surprise in heavyweight history?

Chances-wise, there were more outsiders than Verhoeven, but given the absurdity, Usyk’s legacy and Verhoeven’s inexperience, it probably would have been.

There will always be Buster Douglas beating Mike Tyson, Hasim Rahman and Oliver McCall stunning Lennox Lewis, and even Andy Ruiz Jr stopping Anthony Joshua in recent times. But most importantly, they were all established professionals who had beaten established professionals. The main event on Saturday is a completely different scenario.

Roy Jones Jr. appeared on Fight Spider’s to bluntly warn about the direction American boxing could go if Dana White and Zuffa Boxing are successful in changing the Muhammad Ali Act. The Hall of Fame members met with host Andrew Bocanegra and former world champion Brian Mendoza for a wide-ranging conversation that quickly turned to the legislative efforts taking place in Washington.

Zuffa, which operates under the umbrella of the TKO Group, is pushing for a review of the Ali Act through proposed legislation called the Muhammad Ali American Boxing Revival Act. The framework would create the United Boxing Organization, a centralized structure modeled in part on the UFC. White said fighters who prefer to remain under the existing Ali Act could continue to do so, but opponents say the proposal would centralize the selection of fighters, lengthen endorsement contracts and concentrate control of the sport.

What was the original Ali Act created for?

The Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act was passed in 2000 to address what Congress viewed as long-standing abuses in professional boxing. The law concerned coercive contracts, conflicts of interest involving promoters and sanctioning authorities, and a lack of financial transparency. It also limits promoters from owning shares in the fighters they promote, which has shaped the business of American boxing for a quarter of a century.

Several recognizable figures in sports have expressed opposition to the revision of the law. Nico Ali Walsh and Oscar De La Hoya traveled to Washington to meet with senators and oppose weakening existing protections. Ali Walsh, the grandson of Muhammad Ali, publicly defended the statute bearing his grandfather’s name. Senate Commerce Committee hearings earlier this year drew on testimony from boxing officials on both sides of the debate, including: Coverage from ESPN appearances by De La Hoya and TKO president Nick Khan.

Jones: ‘Our sport in this country is over’

Jones did not soften his language during the interview. He argued that what is presented as structural improvement carries consequences that militants do not fully consider.

“The problem is we act the same as everyone else,” Jones said. “Here they show you something good that will completely destroy you there. So they give it to you to make it look good, but actually they tear you apart.”

He framed the issue in terms of identity, saying that the nature of boxing depended on the ability of fighters to operate as individuals rather than as employees within a single promotional system.

“If they do what they’re doing now, our sport in this country will be over,” Jones said. “You no longer have personality. You no longer have style. You no longer have individualism. You can no longer be an individual. Your place. You are just a sheep.”

McGregor comparison

Jones repeatedly returned to the financial argument, pointing to former UFC fighters who earned significantly more in boxing than during their MMA careers. He cited the 2017 Conor McGregor-Floyd Mayweather crossover fight as the clearest example of the divergence between the two business models.

“Some of your athletes left your sport, went into boxing and made more money in one or two fights than they made in their entire career with you,” Jones said. “If Conor McGregor made more money in one fight than in his entire career, why do I want your model in my game?”

He also expressed concerns about the influence of militants in a centralized system, arguing that consolidated control would limit the space for dissent.

“If they don’t like you or you say something against them, you can’t be world champion because they don’t like you and you don’t have anyone to fight on your side,” Jones said. “You better wake up.”

Financial warning

Bocanegra referenced the recent Senate hearing during the conversation, prompting Jones to end with a projection on what he believes a Zuffa-controlled structure would mean for fighter portfolios.

“It’s dead. It’s definitely going to kill him,” Jones said. “When you get to the point where you should be making $20 million and now you can’t make $2 million, it’s not going to look very good because that’s what’s going to happen.”

The entire interview is available on the Fight Spider’s website Primetime boxing show. Jones’ comments add another significant voice to a debate in which pointed differences remain between those in the established boxing industry and those who support Zuffa’s proposed restructuring of the sport.