BoxRec

Ruthless-RKO wrote: ↑08 Jul 2026, 04:03

I think he's going to break your' face.

2 weeks to go..

I expect some sort of undercard announcement.

I don't think they're too bothered as it's in Riyadh, rather than the UK.

Ruthless-RKO wrote: ↑13 Jul 2026, 03:52 2 weeks to go..

I expect some sort of undercard announcement.

I don't think they're too bothered as it's in Riyadh, rather than the UK.

It's not in Riyadh.

mickey1975 wrote: ↑13 Jul 2026, 06:34

Ruthless-RKO wrote: ↑13 Jul 2026, 03:52 2 weeks to go..

I expect some sort of undercard announcement.

I don't think they're too bothered as it's in Riyadh, rather than the UK.

It's not in Riyadh.

Jeddah, Saudi,.. same thing. Not in the UK.

TWO WORLD TITLE FIGHTS

The undercard for Anthony Joshua vs Kristian Prenga is set

Hamzah Sheeraz vs Simon Zachenhuber - WBO super middleweight title

Josh Kelly vs Caoimhin Agyarko - IBF junior middleweight title

#JoshuaPrenga | July 25th | Exclusively on DAZN

Hamza Sheeraz – 'The German-ator'

Wow, those are two easy title defences.
Had hoped for atleast some heavyweights on the undercard.

Anthony Joshua vs. Kristian Prenga: 13-fight card set for July 25

A pair of world title defenses lead the undercard for Anthony Joshua vs. Kristian Prenga on July 25.

WBO super middleweight champion Hamzah Sheeraz will defend his title for the first time against Simon Zachenhuber, while IBF 154-pound titleholder Josh Kelly makes his first title defense when he faces Caoimhin Agyarko. The card will take place at Jeddah Superdome in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and will stream live on DAZN.

Turki Alalshikh announced the undercard on social media Monday.

Sheeraz (23-0-1, 19 KOs) won the then-vacant WBO title with a dominant second-round stoppage of Alem Begic on May 23 in Egypt. Sheeraz, 27, is The Ring’s No. 9-ranked super middleweight.

Germany’s Zachenhuber (28-1, 19 KOs), who is ranked No. 7 by the WBO at super middleweight, will be making a rapid turnaround, as he’s coming off a fifth-round stoppage of Armin Ajrulai.

Kelly (18-1-1, 9 KOs) upset Bakhram Murtazaliev by majority decision to win the IBF title on January 31. Kelly is The Ring’s No. 6-ranked junior middleweight and could be positioned for a unification bout with unified titleholder Jaron “Boots” Ennis with a win. Agyarko (18-0, 7 KOs) last fought on September 13, beating Ishmael Davis by split decision.

Ascending Japanese prospect Reito Tsutsumi will fight for the first time in 2026 when he faces Alvino Herrera. Flyweight Mikie Tallon is back in action against Orlando Pino.


Full card

Anthony Joshua vs. Kristian Prenga
Hamzah Sheeraz (C) vs. Simon Zachenhuber (WBO super middleweight title)
Josh Kelly (C) vs. Caoimhin Agyarko (IBF junior middleweight title)
Reito Tsutsumi (4-0, 3 KOs) vs. Alvino Herrera (18-0-2, 11 KOs) - 129 pounds - 10 rounds
Oleksandr Khyzhniak (1-0, 1 KO) vs. Lenny Patrach (8-0-1, 5 KOs) - 176 pounds - 8 rounds
Mikie Tallon (14-0, 3 KOs) vs. Orlando Pino (17-3, 11 KOs) - 114 pounds - 8 rounds
Nishant Dev (6-0, 4 KOs) vs. Cesar Diaz (10-2, 5 KOs) - 154 pounds - 8 rounds
Jacob Bank (19-0, 11 KOs) vs. Pawel August (18-0, 7 KOs) - 170 pounds - 8 rounds
Ziyad Almaayouf (7-1-1, 1 KO) vs. Frank Mango (8-1, 5 KOs) - 144 pounds - 8 rounds
Mohammed Alakel (8-0, 2 KOs) vs. Lydon Chircop (8-4, 4 KOs) - 132 pounds - 6 rounds
Sultan Almohammad (4-0, 3 KOs) vs. Efren Besalduch (3-3-1, 1 KO) - 128 pounds - 4 rounds
Omar Hikal (1-0, 1 KO) vs. Brian Castellano (2-1) - 164 pounds - 4 rounds
Mohamed Mabrouk (1-0) vs. Bryan Zapata (5-9-1, 4 KOs) - 140 pounds - 4 rounds

Fight Week!!

AJ looking ripped as F

Ruthless-RKO wrote: ↑21 Jul 2026, 10:58 AJ looking ripped as F

Ripped body but won't strengthen his chin

MasterG wrote: ↑21 Jul 2026, 13:39

Ruthless-RKO wrote: ↑21 Jul 2026, 10:58 AJ looking ripped as F

Ripped body but won't strengthen his chin

It might psychologically help him with confidence though. Which has been lacking since fat Andy.

They aren't taking any risks fighting Prenga

At least this bout can masquerade as a boxing contest. The Joshua v Paul farce was a shameful episode in AJ's career

Coco wrote: ↑22 Jul 2026, 02:38 They aren't taking any risks fighting Prenga

I think it's just to see if AJ is mentally there.

keithmoonhangover wrote: ↑22 Jul 2026, 04:20

Coco wrote: ↑22 Jul 2026, 02:38 They aren't taking any risks fighting Prenga

I think it's just to see if AJ is mentally there.

Exactly, a confidence builder, and the show will sell

'Kristian Prenga can KO Anthony Joshua,' reckons Prenga's sparring partner

One of the sparring partners of Kristian Prenga is picking the upset over Anthony Joshua on Saturday in Saudi Arabia.

Lakeland, Florida’s Brandon Moore, whose lone loss in 20 professional bouts came to Richard Torrez in 2024, has been putting the Albanian underdog through his paces ahead of the potentially life-changing affair with the heavily favored Joshua.

Joshua, 29-4 (26 KOs), has fought and won at a level so beyond Prenga’s that the notion of the Englishman losing is almost preposterous.

But he’s lost before, of course. The first time came in June 2019 against Andy Ruiz Jnr in New York.

It was one of the biggest upsets in heavyweight history and was triggered by Joshua growing careless, and then getting caught, after dropping Ruiz in the third round.

The end came in the seventh.

Joshua is now 36 years old and looking to prove he still belongs after he survived a car crash that killed two of his closest friends in December. Victory over Prenga – priced at 20-to-1 by some bookmakers – is expected to lead to a November showdown with Tyson Fury.

But 35-year-old Prenga, 20-1 (20 KOs), should not be written off, says Moore.

"[Prenga] looks really, really, really good in sparring right now. It's going to be a pretty entertaining fight," he told Sky Sports.

"I think that he has a pretty good shot of beating him, and I think he's bigger than Joshua. Joshua just has a muscular physique, but Prenga's a bigger man."

Joshua is listed as 6ft 6ins, one inch taller than his opponent. Prenga, however, tends to weigh around 265lbs which is heavier than Joshua's favored fighting weight.

"It's going to be a tough fight, but I think he can catch [Joshua] the same way Andy Ruiz did," Moore continued.

"This is AJ's first fight back. AJ's had a lot of stuff going on in his life - nothing but respect to AJ, but when you're getting back into the ring, you haven't fought in a while, that ring rust is real.

"I told [Prenga] that he has the opportunity of a lifetime. He has the opportunity that I would wish for…

"Everything has to be aligned. He has to do everything perfectly."

https://www.skysports.com/boxing/news/1 ... rm-up-bout

Huge underdog Prenga ready to 'shock the world' with Joshua upset

In early May, fringe heavyweight Kristian Prenga received a life-changing phone call in the early evening from his manager Keith Sullivan.

The Albanian-born New Jersey resident was offered a fight with former two-time heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua on July 25, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

"I was stunned when he called and said he had a fight opportunity for me with Joshua," Prenga (20-1, 20 KOs) told The Ring.

"I was getting ready to go to the gym for a 6:30 training session. I told him what I've always told him, 'I will fight anyone but there is no point in taking high-risk fights if there is no reward, either in the purse or the opportunity that the fight creates.'

"He assured me he wouldn't do anything reckless like that. He was still in the process of negotiating the purse, so the specifics weren't worked out. However, after a few minutes of discussing it, I said to him this is the opportunity I have been waiting for and God has blessed me with putting this in my life, so let's do it."

The 35-year-old wasn't distracted, leaving things there with Sullivan before heading for his session as usual.

"Without training I am nothing as a fighter," he explained. "Me, him and [friend and translator] Sammy [Lushaj] talked late that night, all agreeing this was a good opportunity, so Keith would continue to negotiate the right package for the fight.

"To be honest, my heart was set on it regardless of what the negotiations resulted in. After a few more days of negotiating, the terms were agreed and signed."

Prenga appreciates the size of the task in front of him - he's a 19/1 (+1900) underdog - but maintains he's ready to shock the world.

"I've seen him fight and was open to fighting any big names in the heavyweight division to make me a world title contender," he said. "It's a great opportunity for me.

"My power punching, size and athleticism [are what make me dangerous.] I'm heavy-handed and can hurt any opponent. I fear no man, and that goes a long way in the ring. After I knock out Joshua, I'll be ranked and better known in boxing."

This fight is widely seen as a warm-up for Joshua before facing Tyson Fury, who fights the night prior against faded former world title challenger Mariusz Wach in Pattaya, Thailand.

After a decade-long stretch, the pair are expected to finally do battle in an all-British mega fight later this year.
The Albanian isn't bothered and understands the situation at hand.

"[I'm] not insulted, I understand, but he made a big mistake picking me," he said. "After I stop Joshua, maybe I can replace him as the Fury opponent.

"This is going to change my life when I shock the world."

Sullivan was able to work his magic after just one fight together in February, securing the chance of a lifetime for Prenga.

"I pitched my guy, he has the right record with the 20 knockouts, so it made sense for us both to work on a deal, getting it done quietly until they were ready to announce it." he explained.

"It took zero convincing of Kristian to take the fight. He is fully confident he can win and understands who, and what, he's up against. His mindset and self-belief are remarkably impressive and inspiring."

Olympic champion Joshua claimed gold at London 2012 before working his way up to becoming one of the sport's biggest stars.

The 36-year-old, a two-time former unified world champion, has insisted he has big dreams for what is the final chapter of an illustrious career.

Joshua focuses on Prenga, then wants Fury face-off

Anthony Joshua is confident of beating Kristian Prenga and clearing the path to a long-awaited fight with Tyson Fury when he fights the Albanian puncher on Saturday.

Around 36 hours before two-time unified champion, Joshua (29-4, 26 KOs), gets into the ring to fight Prenga (20-1, 20 KOs) at the Jeddah Superdome in Saudi Arabia, Fury will box Polish veteran Mariusz Wach over 10 untelevised rounds in Pattaya, Thailand.

As long as both men win, they should finally meet later this year.

On paper, neither man is expected to have much trouble with their respective opposition. The biggest challenge may prove to be focusing on the task at hand and not falling foul to the type of upset which would derail a mammoth British heavyweight showdown that has been brewing for over a decade.

The noise surrounding a potential fight with two-time champion, Fury, has been far too loud to ignore but there is a big difference between hearing something and listening to it and 36-year-old Joshua insists that he hasn’t had any trouble in focusing on Prenga rather than on a fight that has yet to be officially signed.

“No, because it's it's just surface level stuff,” he told The Ring.

“It's just, you can choose whether you listen to it or not. It's what goes on in your heart and in my heart I’ve got a big task ahead of me within Kristian Prenga so when I go back and I'm by myself I'm not thinking of Fury, respectfully. My mind knows what my job is and what my task is.”

In April, Joshua took a ringside seat as Fury returned from a 16-month lay-off to outpoint Arslanbek Makhmudov at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.

Given that the pair are fighting on opposite sides of the world this weekend, the logistics are a little more complicated but Joshua would love "The Gypsy King" to make the journey to see him fight Prenga.

If Fury emerges from his fight with Wach unscathed and can board a direct flight to Jeddah, he would be able to arrive in Saudi Arabia at some point on Saturday afternoon.

“Dream come true,” Joshua said about the possibility of Fury making the trip and entering the ring to engage in a face-off.
“If I could dream, I’d beat Prenga in my dream. Bam. Wow. Anthony Joshua wins. Hands raised and we're bringing Tyson Fury into the ring.”

Bellew being Bellew crying at an interviewer even suggesting this is an easy fight. He likened Prenga to Kabayel in an interview. He is like Agit in that they both have arms and legs but that’s about it.

Coco wrote: ↑22 Jul 2026, 06:35

keithmoonhangover wrote: ↑22 Jul 2026, 04:20

Coco wrote: ↑22 Jul 2026, 02:38 They aren't taking any risks fighting Prenga

I think it's just to see if AJ is mentally there.

Exactly, a confidence builder, and the show will sell

You think people will travel for this?
I think there will be a lot of locals comped in.

KiwiRider wrote: ↑23 Jul 2026, 18:26

Coco wrote: ↑22 Jul 2026, 06:35

keithmoonhangover wrote: ↑22 Jul 2026, 04:20

I think it's just to see if AJ is mentally there.

Exactly, a confidence builder, and the show will sell

You think people will travel for this?
I think there will be a lot of locals comped in.

Some will, but box office TV, lots of sponsorship