British-Nigerian boxer Anthony Joshua will return to the ring on Saturday (today) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, for his first fight since a tragic car crash in Nigeria claimed the lives of two of his closest friends and team members, Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele.
Joshua will face Albanian heavyweight Kristian Prenga at the 40,000-capacity Jeddah Superdome, marking his first competitive bout since his knockout defeat to IBF world champion Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium in September 2024.
The fight also comes after Joshua’s victory over American boxer-turned-influencer Jake Paul in Miami, which took place just ten days before the fatal crash in Nigeria.
The Jeddah Superdome holds special memories for Joshua, having hosted his 2022 rematch with Oleksandr Usyk, where the Ukrainian retained his WBA (Super), IBF, WBO and IBO heavyweight titles through a split decision.
Ahead of his return, the 36-year-old former world champion has adopted a calmer approach, saying he has remained focused on rebuilding himself since January.
“We have been working since January, working hard, keeping my head down and aligning all my stars. I am fully focused,” Joshua said during Thursday’s pre-fight press conference in Jeddah.
The boxer also admitted that he is still dealing with the pain of losing Ghami, his rehabilitation coach of more than 10 years, and Ayodele, his personal trainer and close friend.
“It is tough, every time I think about it, it hurts. If I stop, you let it sink in, and I am not ready for it to sink in yet,” he told the BBC.
A victory over Prenga could pave the way for a highly anticipated all-British heavyweight clash with Tyson Fury.
Fury boosted hopes of the fight happening after defeating Polish veteran Mariusz Wach by technical knockout in the seventh round on Friday in Pattaya, Thailand.
The victory was Fury’s second win of the year after a 16-month break from boxing, keeping alive the possibility of a long-awaited Battle of Britain showdown with Joshua.
Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, has maintained that only a defeat or injury could prevent the fight from happening, with the bout expected to take place in November.
According to Hearn, Joshua has always been willing to face top opponents and the only factors that could derail the proposed clash are circumstances beyond either fighter’s control.
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