White Blasts Tune-Up Fights After Joshua Scare

Dana White dismissed the value of tune-up fights after Anthony Joshua survived a pair of first-round knockdowns against Kristian Prenga last weekend in Saudi Arabia.

The Zuffa Boxing front man learned of Joshua's early trouble while in New York, when a text arrived confirming the former heavyweight champion had hit the canvas twice inside the opening 20 seconds. Joshua recovered to stop Prenga in the second round, preserving his November showdown with Tyson Fury, but the scare reinforced White's skepticism about warm-up bouts. "I'm not a big believer in tune-up fights," White told The Mac Life's Oscar Willis. "What does a tune-up fight even mean? It's just so old school and stupid. It means, 'Let's get a quick money grab before the big payday.' And they're dangerous."

Venue Dispute Lingers For Fury-Joshua

Fury handled his own warm-up without incident, stopping Mariusz Wach in Thailand on July 24 in what was labeled a charity event. The Briton banked seven more rounds after logging 12 against Arslanbek Makhmudov in April following a 16-month layoff. Joshua's return came eight months after a December car crash, his first ring appearance since the incident.

The all-British heavyweight clash remains set for November, though promoters are still negotiating whether it lands in the UK or the US. Matchroom's Eddie Hearn maintains the contract specifies the UK, while other principals are exploring bigger revenue options stateside. White addressed the standoff with characteristic directness. "I think you can see publicly, lots of games being played, lots of ego involved," he said, per The Ring Magazine. "The answer to the question is, you go wherever the money is."

Joshua stands 30-4 with 26 knockouts. Fury carries a 36-2-1 record with 25 stoppages. Formal announcement of the venue and exact date is expected within weeks.

Source: ringmagazine.com