Anthony Joshua is scheduled to make his return to boxing on July 25 in a warm-up bout ahead of a highly anticipated fight with Tyson Fury.
The event will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where he is set to face Albanian heavyweight Kristian Prenga as part of an “Esports World Cup” card, broadcast on DAZN.
The fight will be Joshua’s first since his knockout win over Jake Paul in December. After that victory, he was involved in a serious car accident in Nigeria that resulted in the deaths of two close friends, though Joshua himself sustained only minor injuries.
Since then, he has resumed training and secured a two-fight agreement under Riyadh Season, which includes a planned showdown with Tyson Fury later in the year.
Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh confirmed the announcement, saying: “To my friends in Great Britain – it’s happening. It’s signed,”
Joshua also expressed his thoughts on the comeback, stating: “It’s no secret I’ve taken some time to consolidate and rebuild to be ready for stepping back in to the ring, and today is the next step on that journey. I’m delighted to have agreed a multi-flight deal starting with July 25th in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. I’m looking forward to competing and picking up where I left off. As I said, the landlord will collect his rent. That is certain.”
He now aims to get through the Prenga fight before moving on to the bigger clash with Fury.
