Courtesy: Anthony Joshua vs Kristian Prenga (X)
Anthony Joshua returns to the ring today for the first time since surviving a car crash in Nigeria last December, a crash that killed two of his closest friends and members of his training team. The former two-time heavyweight champion faces Albanian fighter Kristian Prenga at the Jeddah Superdome in Saudi Arabia, a matchup carrying far more emotional weight than a typical comeback fight given everything that led up to it.
The opponent standing in Joshua’s way
Prenga enters with a record built almost entirely on knockouts, 20 wins against a single loss, though nothing in his career has tested him against an opponent at Joshua’s level. The 35-year-old New Jersey-based fighter is a pure power puncher capable of ending a fight in an instant, while Joshua brings a more varied technical arsenal alongside his own significant power.
A win for either fighter would move them closer to a long-anticipated heavyweight showdown with current champion Tyson Fury. Fury has already sealed his own end of that path, defeating Mariusz Wach by seventh-round stoppage in his most recent bout.
Star power at ringside
The event is expected to draw a notable celebrity crowd. Reported attendees include Dr. Dre, Idris Elba, Dwayne Johnson, Rory McIlroy and Kevin Garnett, all making the trip to Jeddah for the card.
When to watch Joshua’s return
The main card begins at 8 p.m. Saudi time, translating to 6 p.m. in the UK, 1 p.m. Eastern and 10 a.m. Pacific in the US and Canada, and 3 a.m. Sunday in Australia. Ring walks for Joshua and Prenga are expected several hours after the card begins, though exact timing depends heavily on how the undercard fights unfold.
How to watch Joshua vs Prenga around the world
DAZN holds exclusive rights to the fight everywhere. In the US, the pay-per-view costs $59.99 as a standalone purchase. Fans can also subscribe to DAZN’s Ultimate Tier for $49.99 a month, which includes this event alongside eleven other pay-per-views throughout the year and access to more than 100 live fights.
UK viewers can purchase the fight for £19.99 as a one-off, avoiding any subscription commitment, or opt into the same Ultimate Tier bundle instead. Canadian fans need an active DAZN subscription in addition to a CA$60 pay-per-view fee, while Australian viewers can stream the card through DAZN starting at AU$40.
The rest of the Joshua card
Beyond the main event, the night features a stacked lineup. Hamzah Sheeraz defends his super middleweight title against Simon Zachenhuber. Josh Kelly faces Caoimhin Agyarko for a junior middleweight title. Oleksandr Khyzhniak takes on Lenny Patrach at light heavyweight, with several additional bouts featuring rising prospects rounding out the undercard.
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