Anthony Joshua survived two first-round knockdowns to dramatically stop Kristian Prenga in the second round in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The high-stakes victory secures Joshua’s upcoming heavyweight showdown against Tyson Fury, while carrying deep emotional resonance following the recent deaths of his close friends.
Anthony Joshua and Kristian Prenga Meet at the Jeddah Superdome
The comeback in Saudi Arabia nearly ended before it truly gathered momentum. Stepping into the ring at the Jeddah Superdome on Saturday evening, Anthony Joshua faced Albanian underdog Kristian Prenga in what was designed as ticking what should be one of the final boxes before the all-British showdown with Tyson Fury can be finalised. Instead, the night almost unraveled in the opening three minutes.
Prenga, a 35-year-old Albanian-American underdog who was billed as something of a knockout artist having won all 20 of his victories by stoppage, caught Joshua with a massive uppercut just 20 seconds into the contest. The British heavyweight was fighting for the first time since surviving the December car crash in Nigeria that claimed the lives of his close friends Sina Ghami and Latif ‘Latz’ Ayodele. The former two-time heavyweight world champion hit the canvas, looked unsteady on his feet after the first knockdown some 30 seconds into the fight, and was knocked down a second time later in the round, being held up by the ropes later on in the round avoiding what looked as though it would have been a third knockdown. At that point he 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.
The Second-Round Finish and the Road to Tyson Fury
The Referee Halts the Contest at 2:43 of Round 2
The near-disaster evaporated in the second frame. But the second round started with Joshua looking more composed and Prenga choosing not to press the advantage he had built in the first round. The Brit landed a solid one-two early in the round and from there Prenga never re-found his feet, allowing Joshua to unleash his right hand, with the final shot sending Albanian Prenga crashing down and forcing the referee to halt the contest at 2:43 of Round 2.
The win clears the path for a long-awaited clash with Fury, who comfortably defeated Polish opponent Mariusz Wach after seven rounds in Thailand on Friday in his own warm-up bout. A Fury-Joshua fight has been a decade in the making. Contracts have been signed with the blockbuster bout expected to take place later this year, although it remains unclear if that would take place in the UK or the U.S. 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, with Fury nowhere to be seen barely 24 hours on from his own warm-up win over Mariusz Wach in Thailand, and did not appear in the ring after the fight. Joshua (30-4, 27 KO) is now clear to pursue his long-awaited fight against Tyson Fury, while the 37-year-old Fury (36-2-1, 25 KO) had his own tune-up. Prenga was nowhere near considered a real contender, and was the first actual professional boxer Joshua had beaten since 2023.
Carrying Grief and Finding Strength in Jeddah
Anthony Joshua Dedicates the Win to Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele
Beyond the tactical survival inside the ropes, Joshua produced one of the greatest escapes of his career, and now that fight is on while speaking after overcoming Prenga. Joshua called Prenga a “strong fighterand said he has a
bright future” and gave him “a good test.”
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,
Joshua, 36, said.
He choked up and stepped away from the microphone, before adding: It's my brothers. I don't want to talk about it.
AJ added of his countryman: That’s what champions do. We rise, man! We get knocked down, we stand up, and we get going. That’s life.
Questions and Pre-Fight Drama Surround the Heavyweight Scene
Joshua Prepares for an Impending Battle with Tyson Fury
There are clearer and louder questions than ever about Joshua’s viability as a top-level fighter. He looked every day of his 36 years in this fight, and like a fighter whose glory days are pretty well behind him.
Despite the early scare and lingering questions, Joshua turned his immediate attention to the impending battle with his longtime British rival, delivering comments about the absent Fury.
I am going to rip his heart out. I am the meanest and most vicious champion there has ever been! I respect everything that he has done and everything that he has achieved, but as a fighting person, we’re here now. Joshua said.
