British-Nigerian heavyweight boxer Anthony Joshua produced a remarkable comeback on Saturday night, recovering from two early knockdowns to stop previously unbeaten Albanian Kristian Prenga in the second round of their bout in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Joshua endured a nightmare start as Prenga, who entered the contest with a perfect record of 20 knockouts in 20 fights, dropped the former world champion with a powerful uppercut less than 20 seconds into the opening round. Prenga sent Joshua to the canvas again before the end of the round, raising fears of a major upset.
However, Joshua responded impressively in the second round, regaining his composure before landing a series of heavy right hands that trapped Prenga against the ropes. The referee halted the contest, handing the Albanian his first professional defeat and improving Joshua’s record to 30 wins from 34 fights, including 27 knockouts.
Speaking after the victory, Joshua welcomed the prospect of a long-awaited clash with fellow British heavyweight Tyson Fury, while expressing respect for his rival’s accomplishments.
“I respect everything he has done and achieved, but I’ve wanted this fight for a long time, and now we’re here,” Joshua said. “I hope the fans are in for a great show.”
He added: “I’ve learned that I cannot be stopped. I’m not going to be denied.”
The fight marked Joshua’s first appearance since the December car accident in Nigeria that claimed the lives of two close friends and members of his team, Sina Ghami and Latif “Latz” Ayodele.
Clearly emotional after the bout, Joshua dedicated the victory to their memory. Wearing camouflage gear bearing their names, he described the performance as being driven by their spirit.
“It was more than power. That was spirit. That was Latz and Sina,” he said. “It’s been a difficult time, but champions get back up when they’re knocked down. That’s what this was about.”
Joshua’s victory came just a day after Tyson Fury recorded a seventh-round technical knockout win over Polish veteran Mariusz Wach in Thailand, with both heavyweights successfully completing their tune-up fights ahead of a proposed showdown.
Promoter Eddie Hearn confirmed that contracts for the highly anticipated all-British contest have already been signed, although the venue is yet to be decided. Wembley Stadium remains a leading option, while staging the fight in the United States is also under consideration.
Hearn praised Joshua’s resilience, saying the former champion showed tremendous character by recovering from two first-round knockdowns to secure the stoppage victory.
Former undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk also commended Joshua’s performance, saying the British-Nigerian looked better than when they previously met. According to Usyk, Joshua’s improvement is not only physical but also mental.