Anthony Joshua looked moments away from a shock defeat when he was knocked down twice in the opening round by Kristian Prenga in Jeddah, but responded in dramatic fashion to stop the Albanian in the second and keep alive plans for a blockbuster clash with Tyson Fury.
Early tremor, rapid recovery
Prenga, unbeaten in 16 fights since his only early-career loss, landed a devastating uppercut inside 20 seconds that sent Joshua to the canvas and left the Brit stunned. Joshua was dropped again later in the first round as the contest threatened to become one of the biggest upsets in recent heavyweight history.
Instead of succumbing, Joshua produced a rapid turnaround. In the second round he unleashed a sustained right-hand assault culminating in a final blow that sent Prenga crashing to the canvas and prompted the referee to halt the contest, giving Joshua victory inside six minutes.
Aftermath and emotion
This was Joshua's first ring appearance since the December car crash in Nigeria that claimed the lives of close friends Sina Ghami and Latif 'Latz' Ayodele. The 36-year-old dedicated the win to their memory and became visibly emotional in his post-fight remarks.
"It's more than punch power. That was spirit, that was Latz, that was Sina, that was the families. It hurts to even talk about it. It has been tough,"
He then added, "It's my brothers. I don't want to talk about it." The victory was both a sporting and personal milestone after difficult months.
- Knockdowns: Two in round one (first at ~20 seconds), one decisive stoppage blow in round two.
- Significance: Keeps alive the prospect of a Fury-Joshua fight, with contracts reportedly signed though venue and date remain unconfirmed.
- Context: Joshua's first fight since the fatal crash in December; Fury did not attend the bout, having said he would not travel.
Wider implications
With this win Joshua moves closer to the long-awaited meeting with Fury. Although the opponents and stakes are known, promoters still need to settle the venue and date for a fight that has been more than a decade in gestation. Fury, who had his own ring return in Thailand the previous day, was not present in Jeddah.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Result | Joshua stoppage win, round 2 |
| Early knockdowns | Two in round 1 (first ~20s) |
| Significance | Maintains momentum towards Fury fight; emotional return after December tragedy |
For Joshua, the night in Saudi Arabia will be remembered for both vulnerability and resilience — the kind of dramatic reversal that brings the sport its most lasting images. For the heavyweight picture, the result clears another obstacle on the path to a fight that, should it happen, promises to be among the year's most watched events.
