Former two-time heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua bounced back in impressive fashion on Saturday night, overcoming two early knockdowns to stop Kristian Prenga in the second round and move a long-awaited showdown with Tyson Fury a step closer.
Fighting at the Jeddah Superdome, Joshua endured a difficult start after Prenga sent him to the canvas twice in the opening moments of the contest.
The 36-year-old, however, recovered brilliantly, taking control of the fight before stopping the Albanian in the second round to mark a dramatic return to the ring.
The bout was Joshua’s first since he was involved in a car crash in Nigeria in December, which claimed the lives of two close friends, Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele.
An emotional Joshua paid tribute to the pair after the victory, saying: “That was spirit, that was Latz, that was Sina. That was family.”
His comeback came more than seven months after the fatal accident and followed his controversial victory over YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in a Netflix-backed event in December.
Before defeating Prenga, Joshua’s last competitive outing ended in a fifth-round knockout loss to IBF heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium in September 2024.
Meanwhile, Tyson Fury also strengthened the prospect of a blockbuster all-British heavyweight clash after defeating Polish heavyweight Mariusz Wach in Pattaya, Thailand, on Friday.
The former world champion dominated the contest before Wach’s corner stopped the fight in the seventh round, giving Fury his second victory of the year following his return from a 16-month absence.
Joshua’s convincing comeback victory, coupled with Fury’s latest win, has heightened anticipation for a potential heavyweight showdown between the two British boxing stars.
