'He'll go right through this guy' - Joshua v Prenga predictions
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- Anthony Joshua returns to the ring Saturday in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia against Kristian Prenga, knowing a victory sets up a decade-in-the-making showdown with Tyson Fury whose contracts have already been signed
- Joshua, a two-time world champion and Olympic gold medallist with a 29-4 record (26 stoppages), fights for the first time since a car crash in Nigeria killed two close friends, Sina Ghami and Latif 'Latz' Ayodele
- Prenga, a 35-year-old Albanian, enters with 20 wins — all by stoppage — and one defeat, but has never faced anyone close to Joshua's level, according to the BBC
- Tyson Fury comfortably dispatched Polish veteran Mariusz Wach in Thailand on Friday, keeping the Fury-Joshua blockbuster on course for later this year
- All eleven boxing figures consulted by BBC Sport — including Carl Frampton, Tony Bellew, Josh Kelly, Natasha Jonas, and Adam Booth — unanimously predicted a Joshua win, with most calling for a stoppage within rounds three to five
- Tony Bellew predicted the fight would not see a third round, calling for 'a brutal, nasty and vicious knockout'; Darren Barker said simply 'Do not blink'
- Dave Coldwell called the bout 'a run-out' for Joshua, noting that 'It will last as long as Joshua wants it to — maybe four or five rounds'
Why it matters: With contracts for the Joshua-Fury bout signed and the heavyweight blockbuster expected later this year, this Saturday's fight is essentially a formality — every one of the 11 boxing figures polled predicted a Joshua stoppage, making Prenga's upset bid the only remaining obstacle to the decade-in-the-making showdown fans have been waiting for.
