Joshua signs deal to fight Fury - Hearn

Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Joshua was ringside in London for Tyson Fury's recent comeback fight

Anthony Joshua has signed a deal to fight fellow former world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, Eddie Hearn has announced.

Joshua, who has not fought since he was a passenger in a fatal car crash in December, will first have a comeback fight against Kristian Prenga in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on 25 July.

Fury and Joshua - both two-time world champions - have carried British boxing on the global stage for more than a decade, yet despite years of negotiations and false starts, the fight has never materialised.

But promoter Hearn posted on social media on Monday that the long-awaited fight was "signed, sealed and delivered".

"As I said, the landlord will collect his rent. That is certain," Joshua said about the fight.

Joshua, 36, must first get past unknown 35-year-old Albanian Prenga - who boasts a record of 20 wins, all by stoppage, and one loss.

The British fighter's most recent appearance in the ring was against Jake Paul in December.

Later that month Joshua's driver crashed in Nigeria, with two members of the boxer's team being killed.

"It's no secret I've taken some time to consolidate and rebuild to be ready for stepping back into the ring and today is the next step on that journey," Joshua said.

A date or venue for Joshua v Fury has not been announced. Hearn has previously suggested it could land in November on streaming giant Netflix.

Joshua attended Fury's recent comeback fight against Arslanbek Makhmudov and was called out by his British rival immediately after he secured a comfortable decision win. Fury, 37, attempted to goad Joshua into the ring, but he declined.

Afterwards, Team Fury said they had signed their part of the contract and were waiting on Joshua to do the same.

"I'm looking forward to competing and picking up where I left off," Joshua added.

Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Tyson Fury has won 35 pro fights with two defeats and one draw, while Anthony Joshua has won 29 and lost four

The fight British boxing fans have been waiting for for the best part of a decade is almost here. We still don't quite know when or where, but - barring an almighty shock in Riyadh this summer - it's finally going to happen.

First things first, though - Joshua has to get through his warm-up. Not even spectacularly - just get the job done.

Prenga is an unknown to all but the most hardened of boxing fans, but it's a safe return. With his impressive knockout record, it creates enough threat to make it feel like a proper fight but not enough to seriously derail what comes next.

There is a valid question of why Joshua needs an interim fight, but the answer is fairly straightforward - he needs some time back in the ring.

His last win came against a YouTuber-turned-boxer, before that was a heavy defeat by Daniel Dubois, and before that was former UFC champion Francis Ngannou. The last time Joshua beat a recognised, established boxer was Otto Wallin back in 2023.

But more than anything, there's the human side. The car crash in Nigeria, and the loss of two men he called brothers, changes the tone completely. This is about getting back into the mindset of fighting again.

As for Fury - if the fight lands in the UK, Wembley or Tottenham Hotspur Stadium feel like the obvious options, but a November date brings the usual questions about weather and practicality.

The finer details will start to fall into place over the coming weeks.

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