Eddie Hearn Gives Honest Take On Anthony Joshua's Comeback Opponent Kristian Prenga

Eddie Hearn has spoken on Kristian Prenga, who will welcome Anthony Joshua back to the ring on July 25.

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Anthony Joshua will make his return to the ring on July 25, when he takes on Kristian Prenga in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Joshua last competed in December against Jake Paul. However, the meeting with Albanian fighter Prenga will be his first against a traditional heavyweight since 2024, when 'AJ' was beaten by Daniel Dubois.

Prenga goes into the bout with a 20-1 record, with all of his wins coming by way of knockout. However, a meeting with Joshua will be a huge step up in competition, which Eddie Hearn has recognized.

Eddie Hearn on Kristian Prenga: "We should be beating people like that"

Anthony Joshua | Getty Images for Netflix

In a recent interview with Fight Hype, Hearn was asked his opinion on the return of Joshua to the ring.

The Matchroom Boxing promoter said that there was always going to be an 'interim' fight for Joshua before facing Tyson Fury. However, as the former unified heavyweight champion was involved in a devastating car crash in Nigeria after the Paul bout, he needed more time to return to the ring.

Speaking on Prenga, Hearn said, "You've got to fight someone; everybody is dangerous. You're going to get criticized about the opponent, whoever you choose. That's just the laws of boxing."

"He's boxed at a lower level than AJ. I'm sure he can punch, a lot of people can. When we looked at the record, there were a few people where we said, 'Do we want to fight a puncher?'... But we should be beating people like that."

Eddie Hearn

Hearn said that despite his feeling confident in Joshua for the fight, it must be approached with caution. "He's not just a routine fight. We have to take it deadly serious."

"I think he should take care of Kristian Prenga", Hearn added. "I don't think it will be really easy, because the guy is coming with the ultimate lottery ticket. But we've got to be beating people like him. It will give us good preparation [for Fury]."

Speaking on the upcoming bout between Fury and Joshua, Hearn confirmed that both fighters have signed a deal to compete.

In terms of a location for the bout, Hearn revealed that a venue had not been confirmed. However, he believes that Turki Alalshikh will 'want to give British boxing fans something they'll remember forever' by hosting it in England.

There is also no confirmed date for the bout, but Hearn alluded to the pair fighting in early to mid-November.