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Anthony Joshua has vowed not to look past his upcoming bout with Christian Prenga on July 25, despite already having contracts signed for a clash with Tyson Fury later in the year.
Joshua and Prenga faced off in London ahead of their fight in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. For Joshua, this will be his first fight since his decisive victory over Jake Paul in December in Miami. Joshua had intended to use the success against Paul as a springboard to a major fight at the top of the division, but everything changed after he was involved in a fatal accident that claimed the lives of two of his closest friends.
"We're strong, we're focused. This is a huge year for me," stated the 36-year-old former champion. "When I sat down with Eddie Hearn and the team, the opportunity to fight Prenga came up, of course, and then they said, 'But we want to extend this deal and give you the chance to fight Tyson Fury.' Put any fighter in my position, and they'll say, 'Let me sign that contract. Give me the chance to fight Fury, give me the chance to fight Prenga, give me the chance to fight for the title.' It's not about underestimating anyone, but about knowing your goal, knowing your next step, and climbing the ladder. I have a clear goal, I know what this year is about, I know how tough it will be. I am definitely the man for this job."
Joshua shared that he has been working hard in Valencia alongside Usyk's team, focusing on improving his talent and skills.
"I want to get in the ring and show how good I am. When I do that, I make great fights," added Joshua, whose record stands at 29-4 (26 KOs).
For his part, Prenga's team made bold and combative statements, which seemed to amuse Joshua.
"These guys are just digging their own grave," he smiled. "The grave is already dug, but they keep digging deeper and deeper. I respect every opponent, but when I look at myself, I know I will perform... This is my division... I belong here. I'm not doing this as a joke. I'm doing it because this is what I'm good at, and I'm going to prove it. I'm looking forward to it."
Joshua stated that he not only respects his opponent but also the sport, and therefore takes seriously the challenger against whom he enters as a massive favorite.
"Fight hard, fight to win, and if you say Fury [is next], brilliant. But victory is the real success. Everything else doesn't matter... Victory is my focus."
"They call this a comeback, which is quite strange because it's only been six months since we saw 'AJ' in the ring in December," Hearn said. "Obviously, everyone is aware of what happened after the Paul fight, and for me, this is one of the great comebacks. We are incredibly proud of what he did to get back in the ring – physically and mentally. Boxing is his purpose, boxing is his peace. And when I go to Valencia and see the training camp with Oleksandr Usyk, I don't just see Anthony Joshua in the latter stages of his career, but I see a man who is more motivated and focused than ever not only to destroy Prenga, not only to destroy Tyson Fury, but to try and become a heavyweight world champion again. Now the dream seems to make more sense than ever," stated AJ's manager, Eddie Hearn.
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