Anthony Joshua overcomes early knockdowns to stop Prenga, sets up Fury showdown

Anthony Joshua overcame two early knockdowns to stop Kristian Prenga in the second round on Saturday night, marking a dramatic return to the ring and moving a long-awaited all-British heavyweight clash with Tyson Fury a step closer.

Fighting at the Jeddah Superdome, the two-time heavyweight world champion endured a shaky start as Prenga sent him to the canvas twice in the opening moments.

However, Joshua responded emphatically, recovering to overwhelm the Albanian and seal a second-round knockout.

The bout was Joshua’s first since he was involved in a car crash in Nigeria in December that claimed the lives of two close friends, Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele.

An emotional Joshua paid tribute to the pair after the victory, struggling to contain his emotions as he reflected on the tragedy.

“That was spirit, that was Latz, that was Sina. That was family,” he said.

The 36-year-old’s return came more than seven months after the fatal accident, which occurred shortly after his controversial victory over YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in a Netflix-backed event in December.

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Before Sunday’s triumph, Joshua’s last competitive outing had ended in a fifth-round knockout defeat to IBF heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium in September 2024.

Meanwhile, Tyson Fury also strengthened the prospects of a blockbuster domestic showdown by securing a stoppage victory over Polish heavyweight Mariusz Wach in Pattaya, Thailand, on Friday.

The 37-year-old former world champion dominated the contest before Wach’s corner stopped the fight in the seventh round. The victory was Fury’s second in as many fights this year following his return from a 16-month absence.