Joshua says no joy until he wins against Fury

Britain's Anthony Joshua attended a press conference in London on June 1, 2026. He spoke about his upcoming boxing match against Albania's Kristian Prenga in Saudi Arabia this July.

Joshua said on Monday that he will not celebrate until he wins his fight with rival Tyson Fury. “I’m not pleased because the pleasure really comes after victory,” Joshua stated. “Signing a contract doesn’t mean anything. Winning is the only true success.”

The two are set for a long-awaited ‘Battle of Britain’ in November, but first, both boxers want to have a warm-up fight. Joshua will take on little-known Albanian Prenga on July 25. This will be Joshua's first fight since a car crash in Nigeria last December, which led to the deaths of two of his close friends.

Last week, Fury shared a video on his Instagram story of him training in Thailand. He added the caption: “Let’s go August 1, Dublin, Ireland.” Fury, 37, might appear on a fight card organized by veteran promoter Frank Warren in Dublin on that date.

No opponent has been announced for Fury yet. However, Warren has said that Fury will not fight Andy Ruiz Jr, who beat Joshua to become world champion in 2019, before losing the rematch later that year.

On Monday, Joshua stressed the need to get back to work. He is gearing up to fight Prenga. Initially, their fight was set for Riyadh, but it has now been moved to Jeddah, which is Saudi Arabia’s second largest city.

Joshua, who is 36 years old, has not faced a strong opponent since being knocked out by Daniel Dubois in September 2024. “What does boxing give me? It gives me an opportunity to work. I’m a contractor, this is a contract, this is my job so I’ve got an opportunity to work,” Joshua explained.

He continued, “You have to put a roadmap in front of a fighter and show them what is point one, point two, point three. It gives purpose and focus. I know what my year looks like.

“Give me the opportunity to fight Prenga, give me the opportunity to fight Fury, give me the opportunity to fight for the championship. It ain’t about looking past anyone, it’s just knowing your purpose and knowing your steps forward and moving up the ladder.

“I’ve got a clear goal, I know what this year is about, I know how tough this year is going to be. I’ve been training hard, that’s my life.”