British-Nigerian heavyweight boxer Anthony Joshua produced a remarkable comeback to defeat Kristian Prenga by second-round knockout in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday night.
The victory marked Joshua’s first fight since he was involved in a road accident on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway in December last year, a tragedy that claimed the lives of two of his close friends and trainers.
The 36-year-old improved his professional record to 30 wins from 34 fights, with 27 victories coming by knockout, while Prenga suffered only the second defeat of his 22-fight career.
The win also represented Joshua’s 10th second-round knockout as a professional and keeps him on course for a proposed blockbuster “Battle of Britain” against fellow British heavyweight Tyson Fury, expected later this year.
Joshua endured a difficult start, hitting the canvas less than 20 seconds into the opening round after being caught by a powerful uppercut from Prenga. Moments later, he was knocked down again and only just beat the referee’s count before recovering to see out the round.
The second round told a different story.
Joshua responded aggressively, landing a series of heavy punches that forced Prenga onto the back foot before unleashing a devastating hook that sent the Albanian crashing to the canvas. Prenga failed to land a single punch in the round as the referee waved off the contest.
The dramatic victory strengthens expectations of a long-awaited clash between Joshua and Tyson Fury, with reports suggesting the all-British heavyweight showdown could take place at Wembley Stadium later this year, although no official date or venue has been confirmed.
