Former heavyweight champion overcomes two knockdowns in emotional return following the tragic loss of two close friends.
Two-time heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua made an emotional and dramatic return to the ring on Sunday, overcoming two first-round knockdowns to stop Kristian Prenga in the second round and set up a blockbuster showdown with Tyson Fury later this year.
The bout at the Jeddah Superdome was Joshua’s first since he was involved in a tragic car accident in Nigeria in December that claimed the lives of two of his close friends, Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele.
The 36-year-old was visibly emotional while speaking after the fight, dedicating his victory to his late friends.
“That was spirit, that was Latz, that was Sina. That was family,” Joshua said.
The devastating accident came just over a week after Joshua defeated YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in a controversial Netflix-backed bout in December. Sunday’s victory also marked his first competitive outing since suffering a fifth-round knockout defeat to IBF heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium in September 2024.
Joshua improved his professional record to 30 wins and four defeats, with 27 victories coming by knockout, but not without an early scare.
Prenga, who had recorded 20 knockouts in his previous 21 victories, stunned Joshua with a right uppercut just 20 seconds into the contest, sending the former champion to the canvas. The Albanian heavyweight later dropped Joshua again towards the end of the opening round after leaving him visibly shaken on the ropes.
However, Joshua responded impressively in the second round, using his jab to force Prenga backwards before landing a series of powerful combinations. A devastating right hand eventually sent Prenga crashing through the ropes, prompting the referee to wave off the contest at two minutes and 43 seconds of the round.
The victory paves the way for the long-awaited “Battle of Britain” against Tyson Fury, with the heavyweight showdown expected to take place in November at a venue yet to be announced.
Fury, also a former two-time heavyweight world champion, strengthened plans for the fight by defeating Mariusz Wach in Pattaya, Thailand, on Friday. The 37-year-old outclassed the Polish veteran before Wach’s corner stopped the contest in the seventh round.
Although Fury was absent from ringside in Jeddah, Joshua sent a message to his British rival after the fight.
“I’m gonna rip his heart out! I’m the meanest, most vicious champion that has ever been. Nobody can stop me,” Joshua declared.
He added: “All jokes aside, there’s two sides of this thing. One is fire. You have to have that vim, that roar. But also, there’s respect. I respect everything he has done and everything that he has achieved.
“But as a fighting person and someone who has been calling for this fight for a long time, we’re here now.”
Promoter Eddie Hearn confirmed that the contract for the Fury fight has already been signed.
“Everything’s done,” Hearn revealed. “But to be honest with you, tonight is all about the strength that he showed to even be here tonight, and the strength that he had to show in that fight.”
Hearn admitted he feared Joshua may have returned too soon after the traumatic loss of his friends when he was knocked down twice in the opening round.
Despite the difficult journey back to the ring, Joshua remains confident about what lies ahead.
“I can’t be stopped. I’m not going to be stopped. I’m not going to be denied,” he said.