Joshua return the 'ultimate comeback' but a 'risk'
Anthony Joshua's return to the ring is the "ultimate comeback" but a "risk" given what he has been through in the last six months, says his promoter Eddie Hearn. The heavyweight will face Kristian Prenga in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on 25 July before a much-anticipated showdown against fellow Briton Tyson Fury later this year. Joshua last fought when he beat YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in December prior to him being a passenger in a car crash in Nigeria, with two members of his team dying in the accident.
The 36-year-old said he had "taken some time to consolidate and rebuild to be ready for stepping back into the ring" against Albanian Prenga, who has a record of 20 wins, all by stoppage, and one loss. "We also know the risk of this is everything that he's coming back from," Hearn told BBC Sport. "They're calling this a comeback.
People might think that's quite strange because it's only six months after he last fought but it's actually the ultimate comeback. "It's the comeback from the deepest of lows. Not just mentally and emotionally but physically as well.
"The injuries that he sustained in that crash, a lot of people would never fight again and I think the strength that he has shown is quite incredible. " Dua Lipa declines offer to perform at Fury v Joshua Joshua is set for the biggest payday of his career for the fight with Fury but the latter's promoter, Frank Warren, has said the bout fight will not happen if Joshua loses to Prenga. "There is a lot of pressure going into this fight but there's also a lot of questions to be answered," said Hearn.
"Physically, mentally, fighting again at all and that's why it's needed. "We want the best Anthony Joshua against Tyson Fury. We don't want a guy that, 'maybe he should've had a warm up fight - he wasn't quite ready'.