Anthony Joshua extended his record to 30 victories and four defeats in one of the most dramatic fights of his career after being knocked down twice before stopping Kristian Prenga in the second round in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The British heavyweight was fighting for the first time since the December car crash that claimed the lives of close friends Sina Ghami and Latif 'Latz' Ayodele.
Joshua was sensationally rocked by a huge uppercut in the opening round, with the first knockdown coming just 20 seconds into his comeback. He hit the canvas again later in the round and looked on the verge of one of the biggest shock defeats in heavyweight history, with the long-awaited Tyson Fury fight hanging by a thread.
But Joshua produced one of the great escapes of his career. He unleashed his right hand in the second round, with the final shot sending Albanian Prenga crashing down and forcing the referee to halt the contest.
There had been speculation fellow Briton Fury might make a appearance despite insisting he would not attend. But the master of mind games stayed true to his word about staying away, with Fury nowhere to be seen 24 hours after his own warm-up win over Mariusz Wach in Thailand.
“I am the meanest, most vicious champion. Noboby can stop me. He is no Oleksandr [Usyk].”
Joshua said that when asked about the prospect of fighting Fury.
“All jokes aside, there is two sides. One is the fighter and the other is respect. I respect everything he has done and everything he has achieved, but as a fighting person, we're here now. I hope the fans will be in for a lovely treat.”
Contracts have been signed, but the venue and date for a fight more than a decade in the making are still unknown. This chaotic night, however, belonged to Joshua in a victory forged through adversity during the most difficult months of his life.
How did Joshua recover after the early knockdowns?
Joshua recovered by producing one of the great escapes of his career. After being rocked early and sent to the canvas twice in the opening round, he came out in the second round and ended the contest with his right hand, finishing Prenga with a final shot that left the Albanian unable to continue.
What does this mean for the Fury fight?
The result kept alive the long-awaited Tyson Fury fight, although the venue and date for the bout remain unknown even though contracts have been signed. Fury had been expected by some to appear in Jeddah, but he did not attend after his own warm-up win over Mariusz Wach in Thailand 24 hours earlier.
What was the wider context for Joshua's return?
This was Joshua's first fight since the December car crash that killed close friends Sina Ghami and Latif 'Latz' Ayodele. The bout in Jeddah came during what was described as the most difficult months of his life, making the victory especially significant.
Key Facts
- Anthony Joshua was knocked down twice before stopping Kristian Prenga in round two.
- The fight took place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
- Joshua's record moved to 30 victories and four defeats.
- It was his first fight since the December car crash that killed Sina Ghami and Latif 'Latz' Ayodele.
- Contracts have been signed for a Tyson Fury fight, but the venue and date are still unknown.
