Joshua and Fury's rivals ready to spoil their mega-fight

Kristian Prenga and Mariusz Wach have promised to spoil the long-awaited fight between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury. They say they want to ruin the plans before the British fighters meet in the ring, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

Talks for a match between British-Nigerian Joshua and Fury have been ongoing for months. They are expected to finally fight before the end of 2026, but only if Joshua wins against Prenga in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on July 25. Fury needs to defeat Wach in Thailand a day earlier, on July 24.

Prenga, 35, has a record of 20 wins, one loss, and 20 knockouts. He said he enjoys being overlooked in the Joshua-Fury story.

“I do not think it has offended me, but I am happy because they underestimated me,” he told DAZN.

“I do not think it is a good idea he makes plans to fight Tyson Fury. I like only God to make my plans. I do not want to make plans for myself because if I do, it is as if I want to go on top of God, and I cannot do that. God is first. He makes the plans, and I think I am going to break his plan for me.”

Wach's Determination

Wach, the 46-year-old Polish veteran, shares a similar mindset ahead of his own fight with Fury in a 10-round match at the Max Muay Thai Stadium in Pattaya.

“I am very serious in every professional fight,” he told talkSPORT.com.

“I have lost a few fights recently, but I will do my best to stop Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua from happening. I imagine this will be the hardest fight of my career. I train and prepare for this fight as if it is. I think Tyson Fury will not be 100 percent prepared for this fight because he is thinking about the fight with Joshua. I hope he is very focused on making the Netflix series and that it affects his preparation.”

Joshua, with a record of 29 wins, four losses, and 26 knockouts, has faced a major upset in his career. In June 2019, Andy Ruiz Jr shocked the boxing world when he knocked out Joshua in the seventh round at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Upcoming Challenges

Prenga has never fought anyone close to Joshua's level, who, at 36, is still one of the biggest names in boxing. Joshua's last big win was in December 2023 when he forced Otto Wallin to retire in the fifth round. He last fought a top heavyweight when Daniel Dubois, the reigning WBO champion, knocked him out in five rounds in September 2024.

“I do not think he is the best heavyweight in the world, but he is a great fighter. I think he has a lot of flaws,” Prenga said about Joshua. “It is not going to go 10 rounds or 12 rounds.”

Wach knows Fury well, having sparred with him in 2018. He has fought many notable heavyweights, including Wladimir Klitschko, Dillian Whyte, Moses Itauma, and Alexander Povetkin. The fight with Wach is meant to get Fury ready for the showdown with Joshua. Many believe it is just a formality, as Wach has lost seven of his last ten fights. But Wach disagrees.

“Tyson is a very good fighter. For me, he is a top three fighter in the world,” Wach said.

“Tyson is a big fighter, he has very good legs, he has good balance, he is dynamic, he is fast, he is very strong. For me, it is a big honour. Tyson Fury could have chosen any fighter in the world to fight. Any fighter in the world would have fought him. But it was me, so it is a big honour for me. I am not afraid of Tyson, I am not afraid of the heat and humidity.”