Mark Robinson/Matchroom BoxingAnthony Joshua has promised he is not looking beyond Kristian Prenga on July 25, even though contracts are signed for a showdown with Tyson Fury later in the year.
Joshua and Prenga went head-to-head in London this evening ahead of their fight in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Joshua has not boxed since his December battering of Jake Paul in Miami.
Of course, Joshua had intended on using the Paul win as a springboard into a big fight at the top of the division, but after he was involved in a fatal crash that claimed the lives of two of his best friends, everything changed.
“We’re strong, we’re focused. It’s a massive year for me,” said the 36-year-old former champion. “When I sat down with Eddie [Hearn] and the team there was opportunity to fight Prenga of course, and then they also said, ‘But we want to extend that deal and give you the opportunity to fight Tyson Fury.’ You put any fighter in that position where I was, they’re saying, ‘Let me sign that contract. Give me the opportunity to fight Fury, give me the opportunity to fight Prenga, give me the opportunity to fight for the championship.’ It ain’t about looking past anyone, it’s knowing your purpose and knowing your step forward and moving up the ladder. I’ve got a clear goal, I know what this year’s about, I know how tough this year’s going to be. I’m definitely the man for the job.”
Joshua said he was working hard in Valencia alongside Team Usyk and that he was focused on improving his talent and his skill.
“I want to go in there and show how good I am. When I do that, I put on clinical performances,” Joshua, 29-4 (26 KOs), added.
For their part, Prenga’s team brought some bold, fighting talk, and Joshua seemed to enjoy it.
“These guys just dig a grave,” he smiled. “The grave has already been dug but they keep digging deeper and deeper. I respect every opponent but when I look at myself, I know I’m going to deliver… This is my division… I belong here. I don’t do this as a joke. I do this because it’s what I’m good at, and I’m going to prove it. I’m looking forward to it.”
Joshua said he not only respected his opponent, but he respected the sport and was therefore taking the opponent he will start an overwhelming favorite against seriously.
“Fight hard, fight to win, and if you’re saying Fury [is next], brilliant. But the winning is the true success. Everything else doesn’t matter… Winning is my focus.”
Joshua was then asked whether he was pleased that the deal had been done for him to face Fury next.
“I’m not pleased because the pleasure really comes after victory,” he added. “Signing a contract doesn’t mean nothing. Putting your name on a contract doesn’t mean anything. The real pleasure comes from being victorious.”
Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, said Joshua was embarking on “one of the great, great” comebacks, referring to the tragedy that happened in Nigeria in December.
“They call this the comeback, which is quite strange because it’s only six months since we saw 'AJ' in the ring in December,” said Hearn. “Obviously everyone’s aware of what happened since [the Paul fight] and for me this is one of the great comebacks and we’re incredibly proud of what he’s done to return to the ring, physically, mentally, boxing is his purpose, boxing is his peace. And when I go out to Valencia and see the training camp with Oleksandr Usyk, I don’t just see Anthony Joshua in the back stages of his career, I see a guy who is more driven, more focused than ever to not just demolish Prenga, not just demolish Tyson Fury but to try and become world heavyweight champion again. The dream now almost feels like more purpose than it ever had.”
Tris Dixon covered his first amateur boxing fight in 1996. The former editor of Boxing News, he has written for a number of international publications and newspapers, including GQ and Men’s Health, and is a board member for the Ringside Charitable Trust and the Ring of Brotherhood. He has been a broadcaster for TNT Sports and hosts the popular “Boxing Life Stories” podcast. Dixon is a British Boxing Hall of Famer, an International Boxing Hall of Fame elector, a BWAA award winner, and is the author of five boxing books, including “Damage: The Untold Story of Brain Trauma in Boxing” (shortlisted for the William Hill Sportsbook of the Year), “Warrior: A Champion’s Search for His Identity” (shortlisted for the Sunday Times International Sportsbook of the Year) and “The Road to Nowhere: A Journey Through Boxing’s Wastelands.” You can reach him @trisdixon on X and Instagram.
