Former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua survived an early scare to defeat Albanian boxer Kristian Prenga via second-round technical knockout in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, keeping alive hopes of a blockbuster showdown with Tyson Fury later this year.
Joshua’s return fight got off to a nightmare start after he was knocked down by an uppercut just 30 seconds into the opening round. He beat the referee’s count, but Prenga continued to pile on the pressure, forcing another count as the Brit struggled to regain control.
Despite the difficult opening round, Joshua stayed composed and turned the fight around in spectacular fashion.
The bout ended 2:43 into the second round after Joshua landed a sharp left jab followed by a powerful right hand before trapping Prenga against the ropes and unleashing a barrage of punches. The Albanian was left hanging partially outside the ring as the referee stepped in to stop the contest.
Reflecting on the dramatic comeback, Joshua said: “I got through the early d@nger, adjusted the distance with the jab and executed the combination at the right moment to finish the fight.”
The victory also puts him on course for a long-awaited clash with fellow British heavyweight Tyson Fury.
“I fulfilled today’s commitment and the route is clear to finalise the details of the fight against Tyson Fury,” he added.
Joshua later became emotional while speaking in the ring, paying tribute to loved ones.
“That was spirit, that was Latz, that was Sina, that was the families. That h¥rts even talking about it… It’s been tough. It’s my brothers. But I don’t want to talk about it,” he said, holding back tears.
