Anthony Joshua, the former two-time world champion, found himself hitting the canvas not once, but twice in the very first round against Kristian Prenga on Saturday in Jeddah. It was a non-title heavyweight fight that turned into an absolute shocker right from the jump, and frankly, it almost derailed everything. Joshua looked seriously shaken after an uppercut floored him inside 30 seconds, and before you could blink, Prenga dropped him again. This was supposed to be his final step before the massive Tyson Fury showdown, and it nearly went sideways in the most dramatic fashion.
Prenga Nearly Pulled Off the Unthinkable in Round One
Watching Joshua get knocked down twice in the opening round was just wild, man. The guy barely beat the count both times, surviving until the bell in that first round by the skin of his teeth. Everyone expected a quick finish in this fight, but the smart money was on Joshua delivering it. Instead, Prenga, who came into the match with a 20-1 record and all 20 wins by knockout, looked every bit the knockout artist. You could see the surprise on heavyweight king Oleksandr Usyk’s face at ringside when the TV cameras caught his reaction. It was a massive scare, a real heart-stopper that could have blown up the biggest fight in British boxing before it even started.
Joshua’s Heart and Soul Shine Through in a Stunning Turnaround
But champions rise, right? In the second round, Joshua just switched gears. He unleashed a furious flurry of punches, finding that champion’s spirit we’ve all seen before. He finished Prenga with a monster right hook that sent the Albanian challenger flying through the bottom of the ropes. What a comeback! This was Joshua’s first time back in the ring since a horrific car crash in Nigeria last December, an accident where he lost two of his best friends, Sina Ghami and Latif ‘Latz’ Ayodele, and sustained injuries himself. You could feel that emotion when he spoke about the knockout punch, saying, “It’s more than punch power. That was spirit. That was Latz and Sina. That was the family. You know what I mean? That hurts even talking about it.” He added, “He gave me a good test, but this is what champions do: we rise. We get knocked down and stand up. That is life, that is life’s motto.” His record now stands at 30-4, with 27 KOs.
The Fury Fight Is ON, But What a Road to Get Here
This dramatic win keeps the possibility of that all-British superfight between Joshua and Tyson Fury alive. Joshua’s manager, Eddie Hearn, claims both fighters have signed a contract to meet later this year, but it was all conditional on them coming through their warm-up bouts this weekend. Fury played his part by coming out of retirement this year and forcing 46-year-old Mariusz Wach to retire in round seven on Friday in Thailand. Now, Joshua, after almost blowing his part of the deal, has delivered on his end with a comeback for the ages. Joshua told the crowd, “I hope the fans will be in for a lovely treat” regarding the Fury fight. After nearly staring defeat in the face, the boxing world is about to get that treat.
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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