Anthony Joshua officially clinched a Round 2 knockout against Kristian Prenga this past Saturday, keeping his colossal clash with Tyson Fury firmly on track. But holy smokes, that plan was almost torpedoed right out of the gate in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Joshua (29-4) was supposed to get this job done, a simple tune-up fight, but Prenga nearly pulled off one of the biggest upsets in recent memory, stunning everyone watching in the first round.
Prenga’s Shocking First Round Showdown
Kristian Prenga (20-2), a 35-year-old Albanian fighter, stepped into Jeddah Superdome as a massive +900 underdog, and he absolutely showed up to fight. Forget the expectations; Prenga dropped Anthony Joshua twice in that opening round, sending shockwaves through the boxing world. Can you even imagine the tension as Joshua hit the canvas? This wasn’t supposed to happen, not to the former heavyweight champ on the path to Fury. Joshua, who is 36, reportedly stayed calm after both knockdowns, almost like it was just a “mild inconvenience.” That’s some serious composure, or maybe just pure shock masking everything else. Either way, for a moment there, Joshua’s plans for the biggest fight of his career looked like they were teetering on the edge.
Joshua Flips The Script With a Vicious Second Round
Thankfully for Joshua and the fans eagerly awaiting the Fury mega-fight, the script completely flipped in Round 2. Joshua, knowing what was on the line, went to work. He unleashed a slick 1-2 combination, followed that up with a punishing three-punch set, and then delivered a hard right hand that sent Prenga crashing to the canvas. Prenga’s body ended up draped over the bottom rope, leaving no doubt that the fight was over. You know Joshua felt that shot land because he gave a huge smile as he strolled to the opposite corner, completely aware he’d just snatched victory from the jaws of a potentially disastrous defeat. The referee officially waved it off at 2:43 in the second round.
During his post-fight interview, Joshua swiftly turned his attention to “more important matters” in Tyson Fury. He even jokingly attempted to re-create Mike Tyson’s infamous post-fight rant, which was a wild moment, before giving genuine praise to Fury, Eddie Hearn, and Turki Alalshikh for bringing everything together. The expectation is crystal clear now: Joshua and Fury are set to meet in November. Details still need ironing out, but after that nail-biter, you gotta wonder if this tune-up was a wake-up call. The heavyweight division is about to get intense.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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