Dave Allen has given an honest view on the opponent selected for Anthony Joshua‘s long-awaited return.
Joshua has fought just once since September 2024, when he was knocked out inside five rounds while attempting to wrestle the IBF world title off Daniel Dubois in London.
That fight was in America against YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul back in December. After a slow start, ‘AJ’ eventually caught up with Paul and knocked him out in the sixth round.
Following that, in late December, Joshua was involved in a car crash in Nigeria in which two of his close friends and team members were killed. He now returns to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on 25 July against the unheralded Kristian Prenga.
Speaking on his own YouTube channel, Allen wasn’t too impressed with the opponent.
“If I’m being honest, I expected better. And I think they could have got someone equally as bad as this fella, who is more of a name really. I don’t understand why they picked this fella. I don’t get it.
“I think I’ve seen Prenga fight before, I think I’ve mentioned asking to box him. He’s big, he’s stiff, he’s strong, he’s powerful, but he’s not very good; he’s not on this level. We’re talking Anthony Joshua level, he’s not very good, so I’m disappointed.
“They could’ve given someone else the chance, someone we’ve heard of, someone we knew. No one is going to care about this but Anthony Joshua. He has been out a long time.
“The Jake Paul stuff, I wouldn’t count that as a fight and the one before that, the Dubois fight, was a stoppage loss, so he deserves one, he needs one, but it could be someone we knew, a bit of a name.”
