Anthony Joshua had to overcome serious adversity before securing one of the most dramatic victories of his career.
The former heavyweight champion looked on the verge of a shocking upset when Kristian Prenga dropped him twice in the opening round of their clash at the Jeddah Superdome. For a moment, it appeared Joshua’s long-awaited showdown with Tyson Fury could once again slip away.
Instead, Anthony Joshua showed resilience, weathered the storm, and delivered a devastating second-round knockout to keep his biggest fight plans alive.
Prenga came out aggressively and stunned the British star early. A powerful uppercut sent Joshua crashing to the canvas, leaving the crowd in disbelief. Although Joshua beat the count, he looked shaken as Prenga continued to press forward in search of a finish.
Moments later, Prenga landed another huge right hand that dropped Anthony Joshua for a second time. The former heavyweight champion managed to survive the round, but questions immediately surfaced about whether he could recover.
The second round saw a completely different version of Anthony Joshua emerge. He marched forward behind combinations, backed Prenga into the corner, and forced the Albanian heavyweight onto the defensive.
As Prenga began to fade, Joshua sensed the opportunity and unleashed a crushing right hand that sent his opponent crashing to the canvas and through the bottom rope.The referee quickly stepped in and waved off the contest at 2:43 of Round 2.
Reflecting on the dramatic comeback, Anthony Joshua credited something greater than himself for helping him recover from the early knockdowns.
“It was more than me that just picked me up,” Joshua said. “It can’t just be me. There’s a higher power that’s calling.”
With the victory secured, Joshua wasted no time shifting his attention to Tyson Fury.Reports suggest the long-awaited heavyweight showdown is already in motion, and Joshua made it clear that he’s ready for the challenge.
“Have we got Tyson Fury in the room, actually?” Joshua said.“To more important matters, I’m going to rip his heart out. I’m the meanest and most vicious champion there’s ever been. Nobody can stop me.
“I respect everything that he’s done and everything he’s achieved, but as a fighting person who’s been calling for this fight for a long time, I think the fans will be in for a treat.”
Following the fight, some critics questioned Anthony Joshua’s durability after seeing him hit the canvas twice. The former champion quickly dismissed those concerns during an interview with The Sun.
“I got back up,” Joshua said. “That happened in, what, the first 20 seconds of round one? Got back up, took a beating, stood the storm, and came back in round two. Boxing’s not pretty.”
Joshua insisted that getting hurt is simply part of the sport, especially when facing dangerous heavyweight punchers.
“If I expect to get in there and expect it to be pretty, I wouldn’t get back up because it would be out of my thought process,” Joshua explained.“I know it’s going to be tough in there. I know I’m going to be up against live wires.It’s not so much about resistance, it’s about being in the ring with strong, heavy-handed guys that are live and they want to come and win. Hit me with a good shot. So what? Roll it off, get up, take some more punches, keep going until it’s my turn.
“Let’s see who’s tough now. Let’s see who’s the bad boy. Let’s see who’s rough and ready. I come out on top.”
The win keeps Anthony Joshua firmly on course for one of the biggest boxing events in recent memory.
