Anthony Joshua stuns Kristian Prenga with dramatic knockout to revive career and set up Tyson Fury showdown

British-Nigerian heavyweight star Anthony Joshua made a sensational return to the ring on Saturday night, overcoming two first-round knockdowns to stop Kristian Prenga with a devastating second-round knockout at the Jeddah Superdome in Saudi Arabia.

The victory marked Joshua’s first fight since recovering from a tragic road accident on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway in December 2025, which claimed the lives of two of his close friends and trainers. His return was widely regarded as one of the biggest tests of his resilience after months away from competitive boxing.

Joshua endured a nightmare opening round as Albanian-born heavyweight Prenga caught him with a powerful uppercut just 20 seconds into the contest, sending the former two-time unified world heavyweight champion crashing to the canvas.

Prenga continued to dominate the early exchanges and scored another knockdown later in the round, raising fears that Joshua’s comeback could end in a stunning upset.

However, the 36-year-old displayed the determination that has defined his boxing career. After surviving the opening round, Joshua returned for the second with renewed confidence, sharper movement and relentless aggression.

The former Olympic gold medallist quickly turned the fight around by landing a succession of heavy right hands that forced Prenga onto the ropes before delivering a crushing right hook that sent his opponent tumbling through the ropes.

The referee immediately waved off the contest after concluding that Prenga was unable to continue, handing Joshua one of the most dramatic comeback victories of his professional career.

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Speaking after the fight, Anthony Joshua praised Prenga for testing him but said the victory reflected the resilience needed to compete at the highest level of boxing.

According to Joshua, champions are defined not by avoiding adversity but by their ability to recover from difficult moments and finish strongly.

The victory improved Joshua’s professional record to 30 wins from 34 fights, with 27 victories coming by knockout, while Prenga suffered only the second defeat of his professional career.

The knockout was also Joshua’s 10th second-round stoppage, highlighting the explosive punching power that has made him one of the most successful heavyweight boxers of his generation.

Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, described the performance as one of the most courageous displays of the former champion’s career, praising his mental toughness after recovering from two early knockdowns.

Hearn said Joshua proved he still belongs among boxing’s elite heavyweights and remains capable of competing for major world titles.

The victory has also intensified anticipation for the proposed all-British heavyweight showdown between Joshua and Tyson Fury, a contest many boxing fans have awaited for years.

With Fury also returning to winning ways, negotiations are expected to continue for what has been billed as the “Battle of Britain,” a fight that could become one of the biggest events in modern heavyweight boxing if final agreements are reached.

Joshua’s emphatic comeback victory not only restored momentum to his career but also reinforced his status as one of the sport’s leading heavyweight attractions.

For the British-Nigerian boxer, the triumph represents more than another win. It is a statement that he remains determined to challenge for world honours after overcoming personal tragedy and professional setbacks.

Anthony Joshua stuns Kristian Prenga with dramatic knockout to revive career

Tyson Fury Dominates Wach, Sets Up Potential Joshua Clash with Seventh-Round TKO

• ‘Gypsy King’ stops Polish veteran in Thailand, then delivers brutal message to fellow Briton: “Let’s see if he has the guts”

Tyson Fury moved one step closer to a blockbuster heavyweight showdown with Anthony Joshua after delivering a dominant seventh-round technical knockout victory over Poland’s Mariusz Wach on Friday, but the self-styled ‘Gypsy King’ immediately cast doubt on whether his long-time British rival would actually step into the ring with him. Fighting in front of approximately 1,500 spectators at the Max Muay Thai Stadium in Pattaya, Thailand, the 37-year-old former two-time world heavyweight champion systematically broke down the 46-year-old Wach until his corner pulled him out on his stool at the end of the seventh round. The bout was notably absent from television screens, with organisers reportedly reserving highlights for the third series of Netflix’s ‘At Home with the Furys’.

The contest proved to be a training exercise for Fury, who weighed in at 265lbs—some 26.4lbs lighter than the Polish veteran, who tipped the scales at 291.4lbs. Despite the weight disadvantage, Fury used his superior reach and speed to dictate proceedings from the opening bell, switching between orthodox and southpaw stances to confuse his opponent. Wach, who has now lost 11 of his last 17 bouts dating back to 2017, managed to land an early shot in the second round but soon became a human punchbag, absorbing a brutal barrage of uppercuts in the fifth round, with Fury at one stage landing five in a row. As the bell rang to end the seventh round, Wach stumbled wearily to his stool and remained there, his corner deciding they had seen enough.

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Fury, who has now secured his second win in as many contests this year following his unanimous points victory over Arslanbek Makhmudov in April, was characteristically blunt when assessing the likelihood of finally facing Joshua, questioning the size of his rival’s courage and telling reporters: “It’s how big his balls are! I think he’s a big s*******.” He added: “I got through my test tonight. Let’s see if he gets through his test,” referring to Joshua’s upcoming warm-up bout against Kristian Prenga. “At Tottenham in front of 70,000 people, he never had the guts to get in the ring and face me. Let’s see if he ever does. I’m not convinced.” The 37-year-old made it clear he would not be travelling to Saudi Arabia to watch Joshua’s fight on Saturday, despite Saudi organisers reportedly arranging travel in the hope Fury would be in attendance. “Will I balls! I’m going to face off with my wife. I’m definitely not going to Jeddah, I’m going home to my wife and kids who have been supporting me from a distance,” Fury declared, adding that he had been away in training camp for ten weeks and was eager to rest and regroup, hoping that the next big fight would be signed soon.

Attention now turns to Saturday’s bout in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where Joshua faces Albanian puncher Kristian Prenga, with victory for the 36-year-old setting up the long-awaited all-British heavyweight showdown with Fury. Joshua, who has not beaten an established heavyweight since getting the better of Otto Wallin in December 2023, has insisted he is fully focused on the task at hand, stating at Thursday’s news conference in Jeddah: “We’ve been working since January, working hard, keeping my head down and aligning all my stars. I’m fully focused. I understand there’s a big picture. The goal is to conquer the universe, right? But first we must conquer Earth. And this is my target here.” The Watford fighter’s return to the ring comes after a tragic period in his life, having been involved in a car crash in Nigeria in December that claimed the lives of two of his closest friends, Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele, with his last competitive appearance being his knockout loss to IBF world champion Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium in September 2024.

While both fighters have signed contracts for a potential November clash, the venue remains the subject of intense negotiation, with Saudi boxing powerbroker Turki Alalshikh indicating that while he wants the fight in the UK, it will only happen at Wembley if local authorities agree to a later-than-usual start time to accommodate American television audiences. Promoter Eddie Hearn has revealed that Madison Square Garden in New York has emerged as a possible alternative, with Netflix reportedly preferring a US venue to maximise their audience, stating: “Netflix want the biggest audience possible, and they feel like a mid-afternoon start time in the US will jeopardise the potential to maximise the audience.” Fury, however, seemed unconcerned about the location, joking: “Wherever we head, f*** knows. Is it gonna be in New York, is it going to be in Ireland, is it going to be in London? Who knows where the fight is going to be? It might even be here in Pattaya.” The fight, which took place second on the card rather than as the headline bout, also served a charitable purpose, with proceeds from ticket sales donated to the Father Ray Foundation, a charity in Thailand that helps underprivileged children, while Fury emphasised the importance of staying active after a 16-month layoff, saying: “Of course I’m going to fight again, I’ve had one fight in two years. It’s my second fight in two years. I wanted to get the rounds.”

Tyson Fury Dominates Wach, Sets Up Potential Joshua Clash with Seventh-Round TKO