Anthony Joshua and Kristian Prenga came face to face for the first time at a London press conference on Monday, where organizers confirmed that the heavyweights’ July 25 bout has been relocated within Saudi Arabia. The fight, originally announced for Riyadh, will now take place at the Jeddah Superdome.

No reason for the switch was given at the event. The card had been loosely tied to the Esports World Cup, which was recently moved from Riyadh to Paris because of the conflict in the Middle East, according to The Independent. Jeddah sits roughly 950 kilometers from Riyadh. Joshua has fought in both cities, including his 2022 rematch loss to Oleksandr Usyk in Jeddah and wins over Otto Wallin and Francis Ngannou in Riyadh.

The bout, billed “The Comeback” and staged in association with Riyadh Season and Matchroom Boxing, marks Joshua’s first appearance since December, when he stopped Jake Paul in six rounds in Miami. Around ten days after that fight, Joshua survived a car crash in Nigeria that killed two members of his team, strength coach Sina Ghami and trainer Latif “Latz” Ayodele.

Joshua (29-4, 26 KOs), 36, enters with a clear experience advantage. Prenga (20-1, 20 KOs), a 35-year-old Albanian who is based in Englewood, New Jersey, and originally from Orosh, has stopped every opponent he has beaten.

Joshua keeps it businesslike

Joshua was measured through the exchanges, casting the contest as a job rather than a grudge. “I’m a contractor, this is a contract, this is my job,” he said, describing the fight as one step on a mapped-out return. He warned that Prenga’s camp was talking its way into trouble. “All the talk’s cheap,” he said. “They keep talking, they’re digging a grave.”

He invited the challenger’s hostility rather than deflecting it, telling Prenga, “I want you to show me no respect,” and saying the criticism only sharpened his focus.

Joshua also addressed the contracted fight with Tyson Fury that is expected to follow a win, declining to treat it as settled. “Signing a contract doesn’t mean anything,” he said. “Winning is the only true success.” Joshua and Fury have agreed to meet later this year, with reports pointing to Wembley Stadium in October or November. Fury is seeking his own warm-up bout in August and has said he would like it staged in Dublin.

Prenga leans on his power

Prenga, speaking through advisor Sammy Lushaj, presented himself as a finisher with little interest in the buildup. “I’m not a talker guy but I’m a puncher guy, and I’m Albanian,” he said. He argued that being written off works in his favor and that a single shot can reorder the division. “One clean punch will decide,” he said, adding that he does not need repeated openings to turn a fight. He framed the matchup in spiritual terms as well, saying July 25 would show “that this is God’s plan.”

Hearn frames the comeback

Promoter Eddie Hearn used the kickoff event to present Joshua’s return as both personal and professional, set against the death of his teammates and his recovery from the crash. “Boxing is his purpose, boxing is his peace,” Hearn said, describing a fighter he believes is more driven and focused than at any previous point in his career. He called the return one of the great comebacks in the sport while cautioning that Prenga carries the power to derail the projected Fury fight. The card streams worldwide on DAZN.