Anthony Joshua survives two knockdowns to stop Kristian Prenga in Jeddah
Anthony Joshua survived two first-round knockdowns to stop Albania's Kristian Prenga in the second round of their heavyweight clash in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The win sets up a long-awaited showdown with fellow Briton Tyson Fury in November.
Prenga caught Joshua cold, dropping him within 20 seconds of the opening bell. Joshua got back to his feet but was pinned against the ropes and floored again late in the round.
Joshua came out swinging in round two, unleashing a barrage of punches that forced the referee to stop the fight in his favor.
The victory sets the stage for Joshua's clash with Fury, 37, scheduled for November at a venue yet to be confirmed. Fury had an easier path to that fight, stopping Poland's Mariusz Wach in Pattaya, Thailand, when Wach's corner pulled him out after seven rounds.
Joshua wasted no time goading his future opponent. "I'm going to rip his heart out of his chest. I am the most ferocious and merciless champion there has ever been. Nobody can stop me," he said. "Joking aside, there are two sides to this story. On one hand, there's the fire — you need that energy, that fury. But there's also respect for everything he's done and achieved. Still, as a fighter, and for someone who's been calling for this fight for a long time: the moment has arrived."
It was Joshua's first fight since a car accident in Nigeria in December 2025 that interrupted his career and killed two of his friends, Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
