Anthony Joshua completed a sensational recovery on Sunday to stop Kristian Prenga in two rounds. Following two opening-round knockdowns, the pair were on track for a mouth-watering heavyweight encounter with Tyson Fury.
Fighting for the first time since a devastating car crash in Nigeria that killed two of his good friends, Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele, Joshua showed incredible fortitude in Jeddah.
The former two-time heavyweight champion had a horrifying start as a right uppercut put Prenga on him with just 20 seconds left in the fight, the two were dropped to the canvas again in the same round.
Joshua found his footing in the second round, using his jab to put the Albanian on the back foot before throwing in some powerful combinations. A devastating right hook smashed into Prenga, sending him through the ropes before the referee waived the fight off in the second round at 2:43.
“That was spirit, that was Latz, that was Sina. That was family,” Joshua said in an emotional speech following his win, dedicating victory to his late friends.
This win takes Anthony Joshua to 30 professional bouts and four losses, with 27 of his wins ending by knockout.
The spotlight will now turn to a fight that has been talked about for many years and between two powerhouses of boxing, Tyson Fury against Anthony Joshua. Fury stopped an opponent on Friday, while AJ was in action on Sunday and promoter Eddie Hearn claims the contracts are signed and there will be an all-British showdown later this year. “We’re here now,” said the former IBF, WBA and WBO champion.
