Anthony Joshua wants to hurt Prenga and prove he's still dangerous
Anthony Joshua says he wants to hurt Kristian Prenga on July 25 in Saudi Arabia—not to punish his opponent, but to prove to himself that he is still a wrecking machine before a planned Tyson Fury fight later in 2026. The Anthony Joshua vs Kristian Prenga bout is widely billed as a tune-up, yet Joshua told DAZN Boxing he intends to punch with bad intentions and send a louder message than a routine win.
Key Takeaways
- Joshua (29-4, 26 KOs) faces Albanian heavyweight Prenga (20-1, 20 KOs) on July 25 in Saudi Arabia on a DAZN pay-per-view card.
- Joshua told DAZN he wants to hurt Prenga to prove he still has dynamite in both hands and can fight with bad intentions.
- Betting markets opened with Joshua around -2500 and Prenga near +1100, with round props pointing to an early stoppage.
- Critics call the mismatch one of the most pointless main events of 2026, but Joshua says he must win cleanly to reach Fury.
- Joshua, 36, frames the fight as self-imposed pressure: perform, win, and keep the long-awaited Fury showdown on track.
Why does Anthony Joshua want to hurt Kristian Prenga?
Joshua has made his mindset plain. Speaking to Boxing News 24/7, he said: "I want to hurt him. It's not nothing to do with him. It's just me."
He added that he believes in himself and wants to prove he is "a serious wrecking machine" with "dynamite in both hands." That language matters because Joshua is not selling a chess match—he wants a destructive performance that restores his own confidence.
Joshua also said you "got to take him out" and need the right mindset, know-how, and full belief. For a fighter returning after a brutal stretch that included losses to Oleksandr Usyk and Daniel Dubois, the Prenga assignment is as much psychological as tactical.
What do the betting odds say about Joshua vs Prenga?
According to LowKickMMA.com, early U.S. lines opened with Joshua at -2500 and Prenga at +1100—numbers that framed the fight as a tune-up rather than a competitive heavyweight clash.
Round betting tells the same story. Joshua in Round 1 has been listed around +325, Round 2 near +335 to +350, and Joshua in Rounds 1-2 around +125. The market is not asking who wins; it is asking when the knockout arrives.
Later boards showed Joshua priced even shorter in some markets, with straight prices of 1.02 to 1.03 for the Brit and 10.50 to 18.00 for Prenga. That gap reflects the chasm in pedigree more than punch stats on paper.
Is Anthony Joshua vs Kristian Prenga the most pointless fight of 2026?
FightNights argues it could be. With Fury-Joshua earmarked for the end of the year, many fans see Prenga as a placeholder opponent whose 20-1 record was built largely against journeymen and club fighters in New Jersey.
The outlet notes that even with heavyweight volatility, nobody—not bookmakers, pundits, or fans—is giving the little-known Albanian a realistic chance. Yet the bout is being sold as a DAZN PPV main event, which is why some call it laughably pointless.
Joshua still carries real stakes. He said he wants to perform, win, and fight Fury, with an obligation to his fans. One upset punch could derail British boxing's biggest pending showdown—a risk that keeps this bizarre tune-up in the spotlight across the Bizarre World of modern heavyweight boxing.