Anthony Joshua will return to action next month as he looks to revive his highly anticipated clash with Tyson Fury by knocking out Albania’s Kristian Prenga. If he is successful in both of these fights, Joshua has five opponents in mind for 2027.

Since his failed attempt to dethrone Daniel Dubois to become a three-time world heavyweight champion in September 2024, Joshua has only made one appearance; winning six rounds in a gimmick fight against YouTuber turned boxer Jake Paul.

Now, “AJ” returns to the chase ranks and looks to remind fight fans of his pedigree and strength, starting with a July “tune-up” against Prengi, who is expected to pose a minor threat before his November showdown with “The Gypsy King.”

I’m talking to Ring MagazineJoshua mentioned the five “gigantic fights” he is looking forward to after his feud with Fury ends.

“For me and Fury, he can’t be the one [left]because I know if I stay here long enough there will be a rematch with [Daniel] Dubois, there is a potential Fabio [Wardley] to fight is Agit [Kabayel] to fight there as long as he becomes champion, I like how gigantic that would be.

“Exists [Moses] Itauma’s fight as he nears the rankings is still there [Deontay] Wilder fight there. There will be massive fights.

“Fury is just another number and what I’m trying to say is that I don’t put him on a pedestal, he’s not above anyone, everyone stands in my way, everyone is on the same level. I don’t put him above anyone.”

The Joshua-Prenga event will take place on Saturday, July 25, with the novel fight location being Jeddah since the event date has been confirmed. despite earlier announcements that the gala would take place in Riyad.

After months of delays, silence and changing plans, the Mayweather vs. Pacquiao 2 fight finally has a date and place booked.

Manny Pacquiao Promotions has placed the Sept. 25 date and the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on the Nevada State Athletic Commission’s official calendar for the proposed rematch, giving the long-talked-about event its most concrete development since Floyd Mayweather publicly stated the fight should be finalized within 48 hours.

Almost a month has passed since these comments and now fans can look forward to Friday night’s world-famous boxing event.

September 25

The stipulation represents another step forward in a fight that has spent most of 2026 waiting for what Pacquiao adviser Sean Gibbons previously described to WBN as “Floyd Time.”

Pacquiao’s team initially revealed plans for a Netflix-backed rematch before Mayweather finally confirmed the project while promoting his Mike Zambidis exhibition.

However, despite approving the concept, Mayweather has offered little publicly since then.

It’s worth noting that Mayweather’s promotions were not mentioned in the latest booking announcement.

T-Mobile Arena

The selection of T-Mobile Arena also marks a departure from the original 2015 competition, which was held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

A quick check by World Boxing News of the T-Mobile Arena schedule currently shows no conflicting event scheduled for September 25.

That said, boxing fans have seen this story before.

While September 19 was previously linked to the rematch, the date was ultimately set by Hall of Fame rock band The Eagles.

I’m still waiting for Floyd

For now, the booking represents the clearest sign that Mayweather vs. Pacquiao 2 remains on track.

Pacquiao’s team has continued to publicly push for the event, while Mayweather has largely avoided talks since confirming Netflix’s course of action.

Time will tell if Floyd decides to give this fight the same public support he will give Pacquiao’s team.

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.

Anthony Joshua and Kristian Prenga came face to face for the first time at a press conference in London on Monday, during which organizers confirmed that the heavyweight fight, which will take place on July 25, has been moved to Saudi Arabia. The fight, originally announced for Riyadh, will now take place at the Jeddah Superdome and will be broadcast worldwide on DAZN.

No reason for the change was given during the event. The card was loosely related to the Esports World Cup, which had recently been moved from Riyadh to Paris due to the conflict in the Middle East, according to The Independent.. Jeddah is approximately 950 kilometers from Riyadh. Joshua has fought in both cities, including suffering a rematch loss to Oleksandr Usyk in Jeddah in 2022 and beating Otto Wallin and Francis Ngannou in Riyad.

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

The fight will be Joshua’s first appearance since December, when he defeated Jake Paul in six rounds in Miami. About ten days after this fight, Joshua survived a car accident in Nigeria that killed two members of his team, strength coach Sina Ghami and coach Latif “Latz” Ayodele.

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

Joshua concentrates

Joshua started by thanking Alalshikh for taking the fight and said he was focused on one goal. “I have a clear goal and I fully understand the challenge ahead of me,” he said, adding that he believes he is in the best possible shape ahead of the competition. “On July 25, the best man will win.”

He described boxing as “both my profession and my passion” and said working at the camp made him stronger. The fight is widely seen as a build-up to a contracted fight with Tyson Fury later this year, with reports indicating it will take place at Wembley Stadium in October or November. Fury is planning his own warm-up event in August and has said he would like the show to take place in Dublin.

Prenga seizes the opportunity

Prenga, who had never fought in a main event of this magnitude, adopted 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 referred to the fight as his window. “Everyone has their moment and I believe this is mine,” he said, adding that he had “never trained with this level of focus and determination before.” He vowed to deliver a “statement performance that will surprise the world” in Jeddah on July 25.

Hearn announces return

Promoter Eddie Hearn used the launch event to present Joshua’s return in both a personal and professional context, set against the deaths of his team-mates and his recovery from the accident. “Boxing is his purpose, boxing is his peace,” Hearn said, describing a fighter he believes is more determined and focused than at any previous stage of his career. He called the comeback one of the biggest comebacks in the sport, warning that Prenga has the power to derail the anticipated fight with Fury.