Joshua’s dramatic comeback
In a dramatic return to the ring in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Anthony Joshua secured a victory against Kristian Prenga, despite experiencing two knockdowns in the first round. The British heavyweight ultimately stopped Prenga in the second round of their bout. This fight marked Joshua’s first appearance since being involved in a car crash in Nigeria in December, an incident that tragically claimed the lives of his close friends, Sina Ghami and Latif ‘Latz’ Ayodele.
Joshua was sent to the canvas early in the first round by an uppercut from Prenga, and then again later in the same round. Despite these challenges, he managed to recover. Promoter Eddie Hearn expressed concerns during the first round, admitting he thought Joshua might have returned too soon given the circumstances of the past seven months.
Joshua carried the names of Ghami and Ayodele on his chest and entered the ring with his team, with their names also displayed on the canvas alongside the words ‘My Brother’s Keeper’. He later spoke about the emotional toll, stating, “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.”
The fight unfolds
The fight began chaotically, with Prenga, who had a record of 20 knockouts from 20 victories, stunning the arena by flooring Joshua within the first 20 seconds. Joshua, however, smiled as he rose to his feet. A second knockdown occurred later in the round from a left uppercut. Despite appearing unsteady at the start of the second round, Joshua capitalised when Prenga began to box defensively.
Joshua used his experience to land a jab, followed by a crushing right hand. More rights followed, leading to Prenga collapsing to the canvas and the referee stopping the contest. This victory marked Joshua’s 27th knockout of his career. Prenga, at 35 years old, recorded his second career loss.
This encounter was Joshua’s first against a recognised professional opponent since his match against Daniel Dubois in September 2024. His only other fight since then was against Jake Paul in December, just 10 days before the fatal car crash.
Looking ahead to Fury
The victory has paved the way for a long-anticipated fight between Joshua and Tyson Fury. Contracts for this bout have reportedly been signed, though the venue and date remain unconfirmed. There had been speculation about Fury’s presence at the fight, but he did not attend, having secured his own warm-up win against Mariusz Wach in Thailand the previous day.
Joshua expressed his respect for Fury, stating, “I respect everything he has done and everything that he has achieved, but as a fighting person, we’re here now. I hope the fans will be in for a lovely treat.” Hearn confirmed that the contract for the Fury fight is complete. The bout is expected to stream on Netflix, with British fans hoping for a homecoming event, though Saudi organisers and broadcasters are reportedly considering a venue in the United States to appeal to American audiences.
Hearn also praised Joshua’s resilience, noting, “No-one knows what he’s been through over the last seven months. When he went down in the first round, I thought he’d come back too soon.”
Source: bbc.co.uk