Fury vs – Anthony Joshua’s comeback is set for July 25 in Riyadh, with his long-awaited bout against Tyson Fury expected later this year after both sides sign.
Boxing’s most enduring “almost” finally looks like it’s moving into “it’s happening.” Misryoum can now report that Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury have a signed path toward a mega-fight, with Joshua’s comeback already scheduled.
The first chapter arrives in Riyadh on July 25. where Joshua will fight Kristian Prenga in what Misryoum understands will be his return bout before the larger showdown with Fury.. The structure is significant: it ends years of negotiation noise and turns the debate into a timetable. with a second fight expected by the end of the year—most likely in November.
That long-running storyline is now being driven by Saudi Arabian promoter Turki Alalshikh. whose message to fans and stakeholders was blunt: the fight is signed.. Misryoum’s understanding is that this sequencing—comeback first. all-out Battle of Britain second—is designed to manage risk. rebuild momentum. and keep both heavyweight stars on the same calendar.
For Joshua, the comeback is also personal.. The former unified champion has previously described his return in the aftermath of a devastating car crash in December that claimed the lives of two of his close friends.. Misryoum’s reporting notes that. when announcing his readiness to step back into the ring. Joshua framed it as a mental rebuild as much as a physical one.. In boxing terms. it’s a reminder that heavyweight schedules are never just about belts; they’re also about survival. recovery. and belief.
The warm-up opponent. Prenga. is presented by his team as a puncher with an unusual record: one defeat and knockouts against all twenty of his previous opponents. according to the promotional material surrounding the deal.. His current status in the sport is part of the intrigue and part of the concern.. On one hand, it keeps the focus on Joshua’s return.. On the other. it places Joshua in front of a relatively untested but high-output threat—exactly the kind of opponent that can make early rounds difficult even when a fighter is the clear name.
Fury’s side carries its own incentives.. Misryoum notes Fury has repeatedly signalled that an interim fight before facing Joshua would be a mistake. and the attraction for Fury is obvious: Joshua is now being pushed toward a single. controlled stepping stone rather than a chain of extra obstacles.. There’s also the financial angle. with both camps reportedly aligning on major prize money—an era in which mega-fights are negotiated as much like corporate deals as sporting events.
The timeline matters because heavyweight boxing, unlike many other sports, can shift quickly under pressure.. A recovery issue, an injury scare, or a surprise upset can rewrite everything.. That’s why this “two-stage” agreement feels like more than scheduling—it’s a risk-management plan. made possible by the scale of funding and event production being deployed.
A further layer is the spectacle itself.. Misryoum has been told that the Saudi promoter has ambitions beyond the ring. including hopes that pop culture heavyweight Dua Lipa could attend and perform at the event that sets up the Fury-Joshua climax.. Whether that happens or not. the intention is clear: turn the fight weekend into a global entertainment package. not just a boxing night.
When Fury and Joshua eventually meet, the stakes will extend far past a single result.. Misryoum expects the bout to become a defining moment in both legacies: Fury’s reputation for building dominant chapters around his comebacks. and Joshua’s need to show that his return is not merely a return to boxing. but a return to supremacy.. If it truly is “signed” in the strongest sense. then the final version of this decade-long heavyweight saga may finally be written—while fans get a first preview of Joshua’s form on July 25 in Riyadh.