Joshua Survives Early Knockdowns to Stop Prenga, Clearing Path for Fury Mega-Fight
By NewsHub @ PhilBoxing
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 26 Jul 2026
Anthony Joshua narrowly avoided a catastrophic upset in the early hours of Sunday morning, climbing off the canvas twice in a wild first round to knock out Albanian puncher Kristian Prenga in the second.
The victory, achieved in Joshua's first ring appearance since surviving a fatal car accident last December that claimed two of his closest team members, clears the final active obstacle for the long-awaited, multi-million-dollar "Battle of Britain" against Tyson Fury targeted for November 2026.
Kristian Prenga sends Anthony Joshua crushing to the canvas in the very first round.
Near Disaster in Round One
Returning to the ring at a lighter 251 pounds — having trained alongside Oleksandr Usyk’s team — Joshua’s evening nearly ended in disaster just seconds after the opening bell.
• First Knockdown (20 Seconds): Prenga, who entered the bout with 20 knockouts in as many victories, caught Joshua cold with a crushing right uppercut down the middle, sending the former two-time heavyweight champion to the floor.
• Second Knockdown: Still unsteady on his legs, Joshua was wobbled repeatedly before absorbing a heavy right hand over the top followed by another inside exchange [01:00], forcing him down for a second count late in the frame.
For a brief moment, the lucrative showdown between Fury and Joshua looked to be going up in smoke in the Jeddah heat.
Anthony Joshua recovers in the second round and sends Kristian Prenga out of the ropes to end the thrilling fight.
The Second-Round Comeback
Regaining his composure between rounds, Joshua came out aggressive in the second, utilizing his jab to back up an unexpectedly hesitant Prenga.
• The Stoppage: Sensing the Albanian was backing into range, Joshua uncorked a thunderous right-hand combination [02:17]. A final straight right landed flush, sending Prenga crumpling into the ropes. Referee Lewis Ponson counted out Prenga, sealing a dramatic KO victory for Joshua at the 2:44 mark of Round 2.
Post-Fight Emotion & Fury Callout
An emotional Joshua dedicated the victory to his late friends, Sina Ghami and Latif "Latz" Ayodele:
"It's more than punch power. That was spirit, that was Latz, that was Sina, that was the families... It hurts to even talk about it. It's my brothers."
Joshua then addressed the absent Tyson Fury, who had declined to travel to Jeddah following his own stoppage win over Mariusz Wach in Thailand two days prior:
"Hold on, wait a minute. Have we got Tyson Fury in the room? Is he here or not?" AJ joked, before breaking into a high-pitched Mike Tyson impression. "I am the meanest, most ruthless, most vicious champion... All jokes aside, I respect everything he has done and achieved, but we are here now."
Looking Ahead: The Fury vs. Joshua Mega-Fight
With both fighters clearing their respective July hurdles — Fury stopping Wach in 7 rounds and Joshua taking out Prenga in 2 — all terms and contracts are aligned for a targeted November 2026 collision.
Despite the early scare in Jeddah, the biggest fight in modern British boxing history is now clear of all tune-up barriers.
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