Joshua: My Challenges Make Me Stronger

British-Nigerian heavyweight boxer Anthony Joshua has said that the struggles in his career have shown him just how strong he is. He is getting ready to fight Kristian Prenga in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on July 25, according to PUNCH Sports Extra.

“I have been through trials and tribulations during my career, but I feel like those trials and tribulations just show me how strong I am to be able to still be standing today,” Joshua told DAZN.

“I know a lot of people would not choose to be sat here today. They would choose to be somewhere else on a beach because they do not want to go through what it takes to be a champion. We are talking about an undisputed champion. We are talking about unified champion, world champion, and beating Prenga on July 25, so we have still got big ambitions.”

The fight comes ten years after Joshua’s first world title win. He knocked out Charles Martin in the second round in April 2016. That fight made the already popular Londoner a superstar.

In April 2017, he stopped legendary boxer Wladimir Klitschko at Wembley Stadium. That night kicked off a long series of huge stadium fights and helped make British boxing big business.

Over the past ten years, Oleksandr Usyk, Tyson Fury, and Deontay Wilder have all claimed they should be seen as the best heavyweight in the world. Joshua has been a major player in that discussion for years, while many of his rivals have dropped out or talked about retiring.

Looking back at this milestone, Joshua, 36, said he is determined to get back to the top.

“We look at the history and time has never stopped. This is just my time. Ten years on, I am still standing strong, still very, very conditioned. My mind is fully focused,” he said.

Joshua, who has a record of 29 wins, four losses, and 26 knockouts, has seen huge highs and lows in his career. In June 2019, he suffered a shocking knockout loss to Andy Ruiz Jr at Madison Square Garden. That defeat ruined his plans for a big title fight with Wilder in America.

Just six months later, Joshua regained his titles in a disciplined fight. However, two losses to Usyk were expected, but a knockout loss to Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium in September 2024 was tough for him to handle.

In December, a knockout win over Jake Paul helped boost Joshua’s profile in America and restored some of his confidence. But before he could make plans for 2026, he was in a car accident in Nigeria that killed two of his close friends.

Now, Joshua is back in action against Prenga, the Albanian boxer with a record of 20 wins, one loss, and 20 knockouts. He is also hoping for a long-awaited fight against Fury later this year, if both of them win their upcoming fights.