So, Anthony Joshua will be back in the ring later tonight against Albanian Kristian Prenga for a 12-round heavyweight boxing match in Jeddah Superdome. Obviously, this is a tune-up fight for Joshua to set-up a long time awaited possibility of (suppose to be massive) of a Tyson Fury (all-British) showdown if both men could have been at the top of their career. Well, Fury also will be fighting in Thailand against another opponent. Let's leave this topic for another post hopefully. Let's get to the live blog!

Daniel Dubois etched his name among the elite in heavyweight division with a stunning knockout victory over former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua at Wembley Stadium. Dubois (22-2, 21 KOs) ended the fight in the fifth round with a hard right hand that sent Joshua crashing to the canvas.

Joshua (28-4, 25 KO's) tried to get up but was too hurt to do so and was counted out by the referee.

In the first round itself it was evident that Dubois can topple bigger opponent as he floored Joshua to begin a series of knockdown---once in first, third, fourth and finally knocking Joshua out in the fifth.

Dubois' victory marked a significant turning point in his career, solidifying his status as a force in the heavyweight division. He was once viewed as a promising prospect. Dubois had faced setbacks in the past, but his performance against Joshua showcased his immense power and determination.

The bout was a thrilling spectacle from start to finish. Both fighters came out swinging, eager to establish their dominance. Dubois' aggressive style and heavy hands were immediately apparent, while Joshua sought to use his experience and ringcraft to neutralize his opponent.

However, it was Dubois who landed the decisive blow. In the fifth round, he caught Joshua with a perfectly timed right hand that sent the former champion tumbling to the canvas. Joshua was unable to recover, and the referee waved off the fight.

Enjoy the highlight below and more stories to follow.

Breaking:

Francis Ngannou vs. Anthony Joshua is a done deal, per @Turki_alalshikh.

Ten-round boxing match in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

More: pic.twitter.com/e6Hsc6Fh70

— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) January 5, 2024

Francis Ngannou, a former UFC heavyweight champion, has proven that he belongs to a boxing ring as well putting up a strong performance against former Tyson Fury during his boxing debut in Riyadh in October last year.

It seemed that the Joshua vs Wilder could be sidelined. This could be because of this development or because Wilder was upset by Joseph Parker in December last year.

When I felt like losing my interest in the sports of boxing all I need to do is watch the above video. These were a compilation of the best boxing fights that happened in the last 10 years.

Once I watch them, my interest in boxing comes again alive and kicking and I wanted to write some boxing stuff again. Really, It was hectic lately that I wasn't able to update this lowly blog with anything.

Well hopefully after watching again the video above from the Youtube channel Boxing Extra I start writing again. Forgive me if I said I'm losing interest in boxing as I was not able to update regularly this blog. Two or some three years ago, I'm updating this blog on daily basis. I just write anything about everything boxing, but lately, it's not even on a weekly basis. My last post here was on 1st April.

It was not really losing interest, but it's the time to write. The demand for my day job was getting a toll on me, and as I age, it seemed that my body needed more rest. I can't wake up early at 5:00 AM (Kuwait Time) to watch live fights. It's usually early in the early Sunday morning here in Kuwait for a Saturday night big fights in the States. Before, I have no problem waking up early watching the boxing matches live and then write a quick post after. Now, it's tough for me.

Hopefully, I can, at least a single post weekly. Anyway, enjoy watching the above video. There's more compilation of boxing videos created by Boxing Extra.

Is Anthony Joshua (18-0, 18 KOs) ready for Wladimir Klitschko (64-4, 53 KOs)?

"Any fight is the right fight. I’ve never shied away from any fight, any opponent. I started boxing in 2008; in 2009, ’10, ‘11 I was in the World Championships, and in 2012 I was representing Great Britain competing to be the best in the world in the Olympics. It doesn’t matter who I fight. I just enjoy what I do and I just embrace every opportunity," says Joshua during the final presscon on Thursday.

Joshua, 27, will face battle-tested former heavyweight king W. Klitschko on Saturday night at the Wembley Stadium, Wembley, London and can be seen live on Showtime (4:15 PM EST/1:15 PM PST) and on HBO (delayed telecast 11 PM EST). The expected crowd of over 90,000 trooped at the venue to witness who will take over the boxing pride. The young hungry lion or the returning former head of the pride?

“I don’t underestimate any opponent. Through my mistakes, I have learned and made myself right.”

Joshua showed confidence during the final presser on Thursday. He hasn't tasted defeat in pro-ranks, but he was sure that even a loss from Klitschko will not end his career.

"I don't think so, because it won’t be the end of my career."

With the above Joshua being said, I think he has the right mindset taking on Klitschko on Saturday night. He knows clearly that taking alone this fight is a big boost for his career. A competitive loss could only mean a rise in his stock and a possible rubber match. A flat-out KO loss could only mean... ah okay.. I told you, he's still young and inexperience. But I don't think it will be a walk in the park for the, accept it or not, aging Klitschko.

Size

If you look at them physically, both men have the same number. Per Boxrec.com, Klitschko and Joshua has the same height at 6 feet, 6 inches tall, and reach almost similar at 81 inches and 82 inches respectively.

So, I think, Joshua being the younger man would be stronger than Klitschko especially as the fight goes on to a distance, and it would really be competitive in the early rounds. Now, for me, it looks like it boils down to experience and the right game plan.

Experience

“Can you imagine my next opponent is going to fight a guy whose age is exactly the number of how long he has been in boxing – 27 years? Can you imagine that? It’s a pretty amazing task. Is it a degradation that I’m actually a challenger and underdog in this fight after 27 years in the sport? I don’t think so. I think it’s great," says Klitschko.

Well, without a doubt Klitschko got a huge edge in experience. He has seen it all dominating the division for decades. But of course at 41 years of age, how much Klitschko left in the tank? Does he still have what it takes to pull the trigger? Based on his previous fight against Fury it showed as a hint.

If Klitschko fights the way he fought Fury last time, I think he will lose. He should let his right hand go more often because the younger Joshua may have more of that sort in the ring.

Although Joshua may just have 18 fights on his sleeves and none of them push him to the limit because those opponents were not able to match him physically.

But let me tell you one thing. I can not see so much of Klitschko's tricks. His edge most of his fight is his size, jab, and power on his right hand.

Prediction

With Joshua on the other side of the ring, it is safe to remove that size advantage. Wlad got power on his right hand but at times, he's so gun-shy to fire more of them. So it's really a good competitive fight as long as the older got his tank till the later rounds.

I'm inclined to give Joshua a unanimous win. That's when Klitschko employed his hit-hug combination on Saturday night. But if both men provided more punching room, this fight is over after 6 rounds.

Anthony Joshua just needed two rounds in dismantling American heavyweight titlist Charles Martin at the O2 Arena in the UK.

After watching full and action-packed under-cards infested with knockout performances, finally the main event. But it just took two rounds for Joshua to finish the job. Most fans not being able to finish half of their popcorn.

In the opening bell, Joshua caught Martin with a big right hand and the same big punch dropped and stopped Martin in round 2.

Anthony Joshua dropped and stopped the American titlist Charles Martin in round two of their heavyweight match at the O2 Arena in the UK

It takes just two rounds for Joshua to dethrone the visiting American heavyweight titlist Martin. A big right from Joshua started and ended the fight.

It was a cautious round for both fighters. In the late moments, Joshua (16-0, 16 KO) landed a right hand that basically stunned Martin.

In the second round again, Joshua clipped Martin a big right that sent Martin down. Martin (23-1-1, 21 KO) was able to beat the count and continued. Yet again, another big right hand caught Martin. The American went down hard this time but was able to stand up before the count of ten. But the referee waved it off as Martin looked like he was not in the position to continue.

With the win, Joshua continued his unblemished career, 16 wins, 16 by way of knockouts. There's a possibility of an all-British showdown down the line. Heavyweight king Tyson Fury and Joshua were not getting nasty on Twitter recently. Undefeated Fury is penciled to face former heavyweight champ Wladimir Klitschko in a rubber match.

American Charles Martin is one pound heavier than his challenger Anthony Joshua.

Heavyweight titlist Charles Martin (23-0-1, 21 KO's) and title challenger Anthony Joshua (15-0, 15 KO's) tipped the scales, Friday ahead of their heavyweight clash at the OS Arena on Saturday night.

Martin weighed in at 245 pounds, while Joshua tipped the scales at 244 pounds. The weigh-in went on smoothly as there was no pushing or shoving whatsoever. It seems the fighter wanted to save the animosity for Saturday.

Both fighters looked in tip-top shape and were ready to get it on.

A comprehensive preview and prediction from one of the fast-rising online publications in the UK, Boxing News and Views is coming up. Predictions are coming from few boxing personalities along with contributing writers of BoxingNAV.

Joshua went beyond round two for the first time in his career and Whyte was able to expose some vulnerability of his game during their heavyweight clash at the O2 Arena in London, the United Kingdom on Sky Box Office.

Joshua stopped Whyte in Round 7 to continue his 15 consecutive victories, which is all by way of stoppage. Joshua landed a hard counter right hand that wobbled Whyte. He followed up with a hard uppercut that sent Whyte to the canvass causing referee Howard John Foster to stop the fight at 1:27 in Round 7.

In the first round, Joshua was in control of the fight and hurt Whyte few seconds left in the first round. I thought it would be another walk in the park for Joshua. But Whyte managed to hang on. Out of excitement to finish Whyte early, Joshua unintentionally threw few more punches after the bell. It did not go well on Whyte, and he retaliated by throwing a couple of punches while the referee tried to separate them. This made each camp's entourage come up in the ring. The extra commotion benefited Whyte as he got more time to recover from the flush shot that hurt him in the previous round.

In the second and third rounds, Whyte was able to hurt Joshua. His confidence grew a little bit as he tries now to step his offense a little bit up. But Joshua was obviously still in control of the pace of the fight as he landed a more telling blow that limited Whyte to mount or even build his attack rhythm.

In the seventh, Joshua landed a hard counter that hurt Whyte. After sensing Whyte's in trouble, Joshua followed up with few more punches and then caught the retreating rival with a vicious uppercut that sent Whyte to the canvass for good.

Although, still a knockout victory for Joshua, many have been quick to criticize his performance. A Twitter fan says that "David Haye whatever his condition will beat Joshua".

It could be true, but one thing for sure is that Joshua really learned something in this fight, and I expect few improvements from his game the next time he steps up into the ring.