Joshua embraces comeback spotlight before Prenga fight in Saudi Arabia

“The goal is to conquer the universe, right? But first we must conquer Earth. And this is my target here.” Anthony Joshua said this at Thursday’s news conference in Jeddah, setting the tone as he readies himself for his comeback bout against Kristian Prenga on Saturday in Saudi Arabia.

The 36-year-old Watford heavyweight steps into the ring for the first time since a car crash in Nigeria last December 2025 took the lives of Sina Ghami and Latif ‘Latz’ Ayodele, two people who were central to Joshua’s world and his team. That tragedy came just 10 days after Joshua knocked out Jake Paul in Miami—a win that had appeared to breathe new life into his career.

Joshua carries a record of 29 wins—26 by knockout—and four losses. His most recent victory against a top-tier heavyweight dates back to December 2023, when he beat Otto Wallin. His opponent on Saturday, Prenga, is 35 and fights out of New Jersey. The challenger boasts 20 knockout victories against just one defeat, and has publicly called for a knockout win.

“Can he knock me out? I really don’t believe it. But only God knows that,” Joshua responded, his tone measured and assured. His manager Keith Sullivan has painted the fight as a “real-life Rocky moment”—language that carries real weight given where Joshua stands right now.

Promoter Eddie Hearn sees the path ahead as expansive. “There are many, many more chapters to write” in Joshua’s story, he said. An all-British heavyweight clash between Joshua and Tyson Fury sits on the calendar for later this year. Fury himself fights Mariusz Wach in Thailand on Friday.

Right now, though, Joshua’s world shrinks to one opponent. This comeback carries meaning beyond the scorecard—a chance to move forward after loss and grief, to show the heavyweight division that the 36-year-old still has something left to prove at the sport’s highest level.