Anthony Joshua vs Kristian Prenga: Big-punching AJ will be patient

How to watch AJ v Prenga

Anthony Joshua is back in business, with the exciting London heavyweight taking on Albanian KO king, Kristian Prenga.

Scheduled for 12 rounds, AJ vs Prenga comes from the Jeddah Superdome, is jointly promoted by Frank Warren and Eddie Hearn, and will be broadcast live on DAZN, with the ring walk expected to be around 22:30 on Saturday night.

Must-win for AJ

Joshua will duck between the ropes for the 34th outing of his professional boxing career.

The Olympic Games gold medallist aims to improve on an already impressive CV, having won 29 fights and lost four. The hard-hitter from Watford has beaten 26 opponents inside the distance, but was stopped by Andy Ruiz Jr and Dynamite Daniel Dubois.

Ranked number seven in the world, and with current champion Oleksandr Usyk showing no signs of slowing down, the chances of Anthony regaining a world title belt are unlikely. However, the dream of facing long-term rival Tyson Fury before the end of the year means Joshua must win and get the job done in style. Anything less than a convincing display could ruin any chance of AJ vs Fury.

We last saw Joshua in action when he flattened YouTuber Jake Paul in Miami late last year. Jake entered with a 12-1-0 record, but was out-boxed and out-muscled. Sent to the canvas twice in round five and then again in round six, Jake was eventually counted out by referee Chris Young. AJ was just too strong on the night, but a tougher challenge awaits here.

Boxing bettors will find the 11/102.11 available on the Betfair Sportsbook for this bout to last more than 3.5 rounds a useful option.

Prenga has nothing to lose

Ranked as the second-best heavyweight in Albania behind Nelson Hysa, and 35th in the world, you'd be forgiven for not knowing too much about Prenga.

The 35-year-old from Orosh is now based in New Jersey, USA. He has won all but one of his 21 bouts, scoring a chilling 20 knockout wins. That stat tells fight fans to expect a fast start.

Prenga's power is undeniable, with seven wins coming in the opening round. His victims include a list of low-ranking opponents, with Kristian's most recent opponent, Joe Jones, winning 16, losing 14, and drawing 1. That does little to inspire confidence in an upset win for the underdog carrying big odds. Can he knock out Joshua before a global audience?

The 6'5" orthodox boxer Prenga knows he's unlikely to out-box a former Olympic Games gold medalist. That suggests he'll go on the front foot from the first bell, trying to catch AJ cold. Knowing his big-name opponent has already been stopped twice gives Prenga reason to believe he can turn things in his favour. Fans will be tempted by the high odds on offer.

You'll get 20/121.00 on the Betfair Sportsbook about Prenga scoring a KO/TKO win.

There's value in the group betting

I am confident Joshua will beat Prenga on Saturday evening in Saudi Arabia, unfortunately, so are the traders.

Picking how Joshua will win offers better odds than simply picking the Brit in the fight-winner market. The difference in style and experience tells us Prenga will struggle with the step up in class, and I'm backing Joshua to win by knockout. The 1/81.12 available on the Sportsbook ensures we must keep digging.

Given Prenga's power but lack of big-fight experience, he'll push to end things as soon as possible. He'll want to get close to his opponent, dominate on the inside, and look to score with looping shots to the head. It's a long shot, of course, but we already know that Joshua has been stopped twice by big-hitters.

With that in mind, I'm picking Joshua to use his skills, avoid the inevitable early onslaught from a determined underdog, before taking charge in the middle rounds. Just like he did against Paul late last year, AJ will take his time, take no risks, and only step in for the finish when the Albanian is ready to go.

Bookmark Betting.Betfair for big fight previews and tips