It was announced yesterday that Joshua would make his eagerly anticipated return to the ring when he takes on Prenga in July 25 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, live worldwide on DAZN.

Ruiz Jr. famously shocked the boxing world when knocking Joshua out and winning the unified world heavyweight titles in June 2019.

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Joshua gained revenge with a points victory in the rematch but Ruiz Jr. knows how to beat the Olympic gold medalist and he had some useful tips for the Albanian ahead of the latter’s summer showdown with ‘AJ’.

Speaking to casino.org, Ruiz Jr. said: “He (Prenga) should focus on not putting his hands down because anything could happen.

“He's (AJ) a really big guy. That was one of my things. When I got dropped, I kind of let myself go and I put my hands down and boom, he hit me with the hook and I didn't see that coming.

“So, all the punches that you don't see coming, those are the ones that hurt more.”

Don't wait for Joshua

Ruiz Jr. advised Prenga not to overlook Joshua’s power but did admit that the latter can be a bit too hesitant these days.

The Briton didn’t look great when last seen stopping Jake Paul in the sixth round of their blockbuster in December, and prior to that Joshua was stopped by Daniel Dubois inside five rounds.

Those performances have led many to suggest Joshua’s best days are well behind him and Ruiz Jr. believes he can be a bit too cautious now.

He continued: “I think a lot of fighters look at his past and the stuff he's been through and the losses, but every fighter can redeem themselves.

“Every fighter is different in every fight. Like they say, style makes fights, so I think that's one of the ways they underestimate him.

“But, anybody can come back stronger. A lot of fans criticise you for one fight, but don't appreciate the other good fights that you have.”

“I think a flaw that people have about fighting AJ is that they see his background and the times that he has lost, and they think they could beat him. They think if this guy did it, I could do it too. But, any fight that he has, if he lands well then, he could change everything.”

“He takes things too far though, and I don't want him to feel unconfident in himself. Sometimes, when he's fighting, I feel like he's too cautious of what the other person is going to throw at him. You have to get hit, you're gonna get hit no matter what. But sometimes I feel like he gets a little bit scared, like he has something in the back of his head.

“Maybe he remembers ‘man, they're gonna hit me again’. So, he's a little cautious of what and when he throws. I think his instinct is what sometimes lets him down.

 "We don't want him to see him holding back. When people hold back, then they start lagging, they start hesitating on throwing the combinations that they've been practicing a lot in the gym.

“Once you start hesitating a lot and not getting your rhythm and your timing, then there's going to be a really big problem.”

Joshua's return will be live and exclusive on DAZN PPV and Ultimate Tier, a subscription package that includes PPV events, meaning no additional one-off fees to pay per PPV event.

Words of encouragement for Prenga

DAZN News correspondent Chris Oliver

There is no doubt that Prenga has a huge task on his hands against Joshua, but Ruiz Jr. does make some valid points.

The mental scars of being knocked out by both Ruiz Jr. and Dubois have been evident in his performances and Joshua appears less willing to commit to his attacks like he used to.

It is that more cautious approach that Ruiz Jr. suggests Prenga can capitalise on and his best chance of beating Joshua is probably to ‘punch with’ the former two-time champion.

After all, Prenga has stopped all 20 of his victims and clearly carries plenty of power, something which could certainly trouble Joshua if he is caught cleanly.

However, that aggressive approach would also put Prenga very much in the firing line himself and, even at 36, Joshua still has serious knockout power of his own.

Prenga’s record of 20-1 has been compiled against opposition much inferior to Joshua and this represents a huge step up in class for the Albanian knockout artist.

So, while attack may be the best route to victory for the underdog, someone of Joshua’s calibre will relish the defensive openings that approach will present.

Benavidez vs. Zurdo on DAZN PPV

Watch David Benavidez versus Gilberto 'Zurdo' Ramirez on DAZN PPV this Saturday, May 2. Buy as a one-off PPV or get it included with the DAZN Ultimate Tier subscription, which also includes the Wardley vs. Dubois (May 9), Usyk vs. Verhoeven (May 23), Fury vs. Hall (June 13) and Zayas vs. Ennis (June 27) PPVs without any extra one-off costs.

For pricing, more information, and to sign up to watch, click here