Anthony Joshua recovered from a dramatic early knockdown to defeat Kristian Prenga by second-round knockout in Jeddah on Saturday night, keeping his heavyweight ambitions firmly on track while paying an emotional tribute to two of his late team members.
The Nigerian-British boxing star was floored less than 20 seconds into the contest after being caught by a powerful uppercut from the Albanian knockout specialist. Joshua also hit the canvas again during a difficult opening round as Prenga threatened to pull off one of the biggest upsets of the year.
The bout initially appeared to be heading in an unexpected direction after Prenga stunned the crowd with his aggressive start. Joshua struggled through the opening exchanges as the Albanian sought to capitalise on his early success and produce a career-defining victory.
However, the British-Nigerian heavyweight gradually found his rhythm and turned the momentum around. Once he began landing his trademark right hands, the balance of the contest shifted decisively in his favour, with Prenga unable to withstand the sustained attack that ultimately brought the fight to an end in the second round.
The victory marked an impressive comeback for the former world heavyweight champion in his first fight since surviving a car crash in December that claimed the lives of his friends and team members, Sina Ghami and Latif ‘Latz’ Ayodele.
An emotional Joshua dedicated the victory to the memories of the two men, admitting that their loss had remained a painful burden in the months leading up to his return to the ring.
“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. It’s my brothers. I don’t want to talk about it,” Joshua said after the fight.
The win also strengthens expectations of a long-discussed showdown with fellow British heavyweight Tyson Fury later this year.
