Tyson Fury has been sent a defiant message as Kristian Prenga has revealed how hard Anthony Joshua hits following their two-round clash.

Both Fury and Joshua emerged victorious from their respective tune-up fights ahead of their blockbuster showdown this year.

Fury beat Polish veteran Mariusz Wach in Thailand, with Joshua surviving a huge scare against Prenga 24 hours later in Saudi Arabia.

‘AJ’ came off the canvas not once but twice in the first round before turning things around in the second round to secure a devastating knockout victory in his return bout following the fatal car accident that killed two of his close friends.

Kristian Prenga on Anthony Joshua’s Power

Credit: REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa

After getting off the floor and returning to his corner, Joshua buzzed Prenga with a big right hand before unleashing a flurry of shots to drop his opponent through the ropes.

Prenga failed to beat the count and subsequently suffered the first defeat of his professional career since 2017, having previously won 16 fights in a row.

Speaking after his defeat, Prenga hailed Joshua’s power, claiming he had never experienced anything like it before.

Joshua has won an impressive 27 fights inside the distance, stopping the likes of Dillian Whyte, Wladimir Klitschko and Francis Ngannou.

Given the nature of of his latest outing, fans and critics alike, including Lennox Lewis, believe the former world champion is past his best, but Prenga does not subscribe to that notion, saying: “It’s not true.”

Kristian Prenga: ‘Anthony Joshua is Not an Easy Fight for Tyson Fury’

Joshua is on a two-fight winning streak since being knocked out by Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium in September 2024.

He defeated Jake Paul in a money-spinning showdown on Netflix before stopping Prenga in Jeddah last month.

Having shared the ring with Joshua, the Albanian knockout artist believes the 36-year-old Brit is still a great fighter and promised Fury it wouldn’t be an easy fight.

“Joshua is a great fighter. He has experience. He has power and I know he went through a lot in his life – as we all know,” he added. “But it’s not an easy fight for Tyson Fury. I promise you.”

Fury, meanwhile, has two wins under his belt since losing back-to-back world title bouts to Oleksandr Usyk.

The self-proclaimed ‘Gypsy King’ returned to winning ways against Arslanbek Makhmudov in April before taking out Wach last month.

The all-British battle has yet to be officially announced but is set to take place in America, with New York City’s iconic Madison Square Garden in line to host it.

Celtic are now said to have agreed a deal to sign Paderborn midfielder Mika Baur after weeks of negotiations. The Bhoys had a slow start to the summer transfer window, but they are now playing catch-up against an all-important deadline on Thursday.

That’s not the transfer deadline, but it is the deadline to register squads ahead of the Champions League qualifying play-offs. The Bhoys face Austrian champions LASK on August 18 and 25, and any players not registered before Thursday will not be able to play in those games.

Celtic are wrapping up a deal for Real Oviedo winger Haissem Hassan ahead of that deadline, but the Egypt World Cup winner is not the only arrival. The Hoops are now closing in on a deal for midfielder Baur.

Paderborn have been holding out amid interest from Celtic this summer, with the midfielder having been important in their promotion-winning campaign of last. Now in Bundesliga, Paderborn were willing to use Baur in the final year of his contract and lose him for free if their value was not met, and Celtic have not been able to get around it.

The Bhoys are also not helped by the fact Arne Engels will likely go for £25million this summer, and the footballing world knows it, so they are not going to be granted any discounts.

But aware they need reinforcements ahead of the Champions League qualifiers, Celtic have now struck a deal, and at a million or so above what Baur was expected to cost.

German journalist Florian Plettenberg posted on X: “EXCL | Mika Baur to Celtic – DONE DEAL. Full agreement reached with SC Paderborn. Transfer fee: €8m all-in. Record sale. Contract until 2031. The 22 y/o central midfielder is now on his way with his agents. Transfer set to go through, pending medical and contract signing.”

Celtic’s current midfield crop

• Benjamin Nygren
• Odin Thiago Holm
• Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
• Arne Engels
• Sean McArdle
• Callum McGregor

Celtic are still in the market for further additions

Celtic are on their way to landing Baur, but they still need another midfielder in their bid to replace Engels this summer. Engels is vital for the Bhoys, and he has shown that in his first two games of the season.

The Belgian controls the tempo of the game and gives Celtic so much going forward by taking the ball and driving forward into the final third.

Celtic are not going to spend all of the £25million they are likely to receive from Engels, so it’s likely it will be a case of replacement by committee, and while Baur looks to be a good player, it’s likely it will take another midfield signing, although it’s likely that signing will not come until Engels is sold.

Celtic are currently looking to keep hold of Engels until after the Champions League qualifiers amid interest from West Ham and likely others.

An NFL scout has issued a damning assessment of Travis Kelce ahead of the new season.

The Kansas City Chiefs will be aiming to win the Super Bowl for the first time since 2024 following a disastrous campaign last season.

The Chiefs finished 6-11, third in the AFC West and missed out on the playoffs for the first time in the Patrick Mahomes era.

It could be another difficult season given star quarterback Mahomes isn’t fully fit, having undergone knee surgery, emphasising concerns about Kelce, who is entering the 14th season of his legendary NFL career.

But one NFL advance scout doesn’t have high hopes for the 11-time Pro Bowl winner.

Travis Kelce is ‘Done’, According to NFL Scout

Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

One NFL advance scout believes Kelce is ‘done’, as quoted by Jason La Canfora in a report published on Tuesday.

“Kelce is done,” said La Canfora. “That’s over. What you saw last year – that’s what he is.”

NFL insider La Canfora added that Kelce, who got married to pop star Taylor Swift on July 3 at the iconic Madison Square Garden in New York City, is past his prime and potentially finished as a difference-maker.

NFL analyst Brian Baldinger also weighed in and offered a similar assessment on the Chiefs’ passing game as a whole.

“I don’t think they’re a great offence, Jason, I really don’t,” he told La Canfora, who replied: “They don’t look like it to me. They haven’t done enough.”

Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid Backs Travis Kelce

Credit: Michael Chow / USA TODAY NETWORK

Chiefs coach Andy Reid shared his thoughts on Kelce ahead of the new season and jumped to the defence of the 36-year-old, addressing claims that the star player has returned to training camp sporting a dad bod after tying the know with Swift last month.

“He came back in good shape,” he told NFL Network. “I know everybody’s out there saying he’s got the dad body and all this stuff, but he looks the same to me that he’s always looked, and just playing like crazy. So he’s doing a nice job with everything.”

Reid also hailed Kelce’s drive on the pitch and claimed he has been ‘playing like crazy’ during early training camp sessions.

“He’s focused in and ready to go,” he added. “When you have somebody that’s been here 14 years and wants to be out there every snap… where he’s gonna play hard and aggressive, that’s contagious.”

Despite the Chiefs having a down year and missing the playoffs, Kelce, who contemplated retirement in the offseason, delivered a productive campaign, having played in all 17 games, recording 76 catches for 851 yards and five touchdowns.