Anthony Joshua Refuses To Play Down Clash With Prenga

Anthony Joshua has dismissed suggestions that his upcoming heavyweight bout against Kristian Prenga is merely a stepping stone, insisting he is treating it with the seriousness of any major game.

The former world heavyweight champion will face the unbeaten Albanian at the Jeddah Superdome in Saudi Arabia on July 25, with many viewing the fight as preparation for a potential blockbuster showdown against Tyson Fury.

Prenga heads into the game boasting a 20-1 professional record, with all 20 of his victories coming by knockout. He has also made no secret of his ambition to upset Joshua’s plans by pulling off a shock win.

Joshua, however, says his full focus is on producing a convincing performance and proving he remains one of the division’s biggest threats.

“I don’t see it as a tune-up fight, and I don’t see it as the biggest challenge of my career. It’s a fight,” he told Combat Evolved.

“You’ve got to believe in yourself, man. I’m working hard; you’ve got to say how you feel. I want to win; I want to do what I’m supposed to do.

“It’s nothing personal against Prenga; it could be anyone. It’s not a warm-up fight; it’s someone I really want to beat, and I want to do it in good fashion as well.”

The British boxer added that he aims to showcase the improvements made during training camp rather than simply get through the fight.

“I want to go in there and showcase my skills. It’s what this camp is about; it’s about improving my skills. I want to go in there and show how good I am,” Anthony Joshua said.

“Only God knows. I’m just working towards a victory, but predicting how that victory comes, I don’t have a clue. He used to be a kickboxer, not MMA, but he’s got a mixed martial arts background. He’s mixed a few different disciplines, kicking, punching, so we’ll see how that crosses over.”

Victory for Joshua would strengthen his case for a long-awaited clash with Tyson Fury, while defeat would hand Prenga the biggest win of his career.