Boxing
Who has the harder fight, Tyson Fury or Anthony Joshua?
Joshua vs. Prenga: Only on DAZN PPV - Saturday
Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua both return to action this weekend in contests which both men are expected to win with ease.
Tonight, Fury faces heavyweight veteran Mariusz Wach in Thailand, and then the following evening, Joshua takes on Kristian Prenga exclusively live on DAZN PPV and Ultimate Tier.
It’s expected that as long as Fury and Joshua win, then an announcement could be imminent about their showdown later in the year.
But who has the harder warm-up fight, Fury or Joshua?
Fury vs. Wach
Initially, it looked like Fury’s unanimous decision win over Arslanbek Makhmudov in April would serve as his warm-up bout ahead of facing Joshua.
However, with Joshua not choosing to return until July 25, Fury could not afford to let a significant amount of time pass before he faced his rival. Before fighting Makhmudov, ‘The Gypsy King’ had been enjoying a 16-month retirement.
So, tonight’s fight with Wach is a simple ‘keep fit’ exercise.
Why Anthony Joshua knows he will beat Tyson Fury
BUY NOW HERE: Joshua vs. Prenga PPV for £19.99 / $59.99 or included in DAZN's Ultimate Tier subscription
Wach poses no threat. The Polish fighter is 46 years old, boasts a record of 39-13 (20 KOs), and lost three of his last four contests.
Fury will win, there’s no doubt about that, and he will hail the performance as one of the best ever produced by, in his own words, ‘a fighting man’.
But he will not be able to pull the wool over anyone’s eyes when it comes to what this bout with Wach really is.
Joshua vs. Prenga
Joshua finds himself in a similar situation to Fury.
Saturday evening’s clash with Prenga is one he should win, albeit his opponent is someone whose 20 wins as a professional have all come by way of knockout.
However, for Joshua it’s more than just the result that will be the focus.
For the two-time world champion, it is a fight which tests all aspects of his ability.
What has Joshua has learnt from Usyk?
Watch: AJ reveals what training with his former foe has been like
BUY NOW HERE: Joshua vs. Prenga PPV for £19.99 / $59.99 or included in DAZN's Ultimate Tier subscription
This will be just Joshua’s second outing since linking up with Oleksandr Usyk’s training team, and while he has talked about the improvements made to his fitness and mental state inside the ring, it is a different challenge altogether to apply what has been worked on in training to a heavyweight fight.
Then comes the mental challenge. Joshua is fighting for the first time since losing two of his closest friends in a tragic car accident in Nigeria at the end of last year.
His corner will never be the same again, and now the boxing world will see whether Joshua uses this personal loss as motivation to send a statement to the rest of the heavyweight division that he is ready to make his charge for the undisputed title.
Who has the harder fight, Fury or Joshua?
The answer is clear: it’s Joshua.
Fury is facing an opponent in Wach who, quite frankly, should not be in the ring. He will gain nothing from the inevitable victory except for a few extra rounds in his legs.
For Joshua, Prenga poses a physical and mental test.
Joshua will be looking to showcase what he has been working on with Usyk’s coaches, albeit after only a brief period working together, whilst also overcoming the mental challenges that will come with not having two close friends and members of his team there to spur him on.
Joshua vs. Prenga - exclusively on DAZN PPV
Watch Anthony Joshua versus Kristian Prenga on Saturday, July 25, as part of a huge 24 hours of boxing on DAZN PPV.Â
Buy as a one-off PPV or included along with Spence Jr. vs. Tszyu on the same night, and Moses Itauma vs. Hrgovic (Aug 29) and Canelo vs. Mbilli (Oct) PPVs, with a DAZN Ultimate Tier subscription.
