Albanian heavyweight Kristian Prenga has issued a confident warning to British-Nigerian boxer Anthony Joshua ahead of their scheduled clash in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on July 25.

Prenga, who holds a 20-1 record with 20 knockouts and is based in New Jersey, said he is prepared to spring a major upset despite being widely seen as the underdog going into the fight.

Speaking at a pre-fight press conference, he insisted Joshua has never faced the kind of power he intends to bring into the ring.

“I train hard, I am ready. I promise you, if I catch you, you’ve never felt anything like my punch. I promise it. You’re a great fighter, but in the ring, I don’t have respect for nobody,” he said.

The 35-year-old heavyweight, who stands 6ft 5in tall, has built a reputation for early stoppages in recent years, with most of his opponents failing to last beyond the early rounds.

Although he suffered an early career defeat on points, Prenga has since gone on an impressive knockout streak, stopping nearly all of his subsequent opponents inside three rounds.

“I think I’m going to shock the world,” he added.

His manager, Keith Sullivan, also expressed confidence, claiming that Matchroom Boxing may have underestimated Prenga and that the fighter is capable of causing an upset.

Prenga said being overlooked motivates him and credited his mindset to faith, adding that he believes the outcome of the fight is ultimately in God’s hands.

“Being underestimated is actually a positive thing for me. Planning before is trying to be bigger than God, and no one is. You’ve got to go with God’s plans, and then you will become a winner. On July 25, I will show it’s God’s plans,” he said.

He also admitted he was surprised when the opportunity to face Joshua came through.

“When my manager called me, he said, ‘You’re going to have a big opportunity, you can fight with AJ.’ First, I didn’t believe it. But I said, ‘Let’s go.’ It’s my time now,” Prenga explained.

Meanwhile, Anthony Joshua has said he is entering the bout in strong mental and physical condition, describing this phase of his career as one of renewed focus and purpose.

The former world heavyweight champion, who has not fought since December 2025, said boxing has helped him regain motivation following personal loss last year.

“I feel solid. This is where I want to be. I’m very grateful for this opportunity. It’s nice doing what I love,” Joshua told Sky Sports.

He added that his preparation goes beyond physical training, emphasizing mental strength as a key part of his comeback.

“I’m building myself up to be stronger than I’ve ever been — not only physically, because that’s natural, but mentally. I’ve realised I’m a lot stronger than I ever thought I was,” he said.

Joshua also downplayed talk of a future fight with Tyson Fury, insisting that his only focus is winning his upcoming bout.

“I’m not pleased because the pleasure really comes after victory. Signing a contract doesn’t mean anything. Winning is the only true success,” he said.

Fury is expected to take a warm-up fight in Dublin on August 1 ahead of a potential showdown later in the year.