Anthony Joshua will ruin Tyson Fury fight if he loses warm-up – Frank Warren

By George Sessions, Press Association

Queensberry promoter Frank Warren has warned Anthony Joshua that defeat to Albanian heavyweight Kristian Prenga on July 25 would “kill” plans for a ‘Battle of Britain’ with Tyson Fury.

Joshua signed up on Monday to an eagerly anticipated bout with Fury for later in 2026, in the latest step towards a blockbuster contest that has been years in the making.

Fury and Joshua traded verbal blows following a comeback victory for the ‘Gypsy King’ over Arslanbek Makhmudov at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on April 11 after Saudi Arabian powerbroker Turki Alalshikh had promised to get them in the ring together this year.

Matchroom’s Eddie Hearn, who promotes Joshua, confirmed the contract had been signed earlier this week and old adversary Warren of Queensberry has discussed the potential showdown in an interview with BBC Sport.

Warren confirmed his own intention to make sure the fight takes place at Wembley, but reminded Joshua it would only happen if he could navigate Prenga in Riyadh in a tune-up fight arranged after the former world heavyweight champion was involved in a car crash in Nigeria last December.

“If he loses to this guy, it kills the fight,” Warren told BBC Sport.

Asked about Wembley as a venue, Warren added: “That’s where everybody would like to see the fight.

“It’s the national stadium – that is where it belongs. We’ve had some great nights there in the past and that makes a lot of sense.”

Warren also discussed suggestions Fury may want another fight before he takes on Joshua.

He added: “Tyson wants to keep busy. That’s the mentality he has.

“When he’s in the gym, he goes to the gym for his mental wellbeing, as well as physically.

“He needs focus, a date when he’s going to fight and at the moment we don’t have that date (for Joshua).”