By Nadia Ntiamoah
Former two-time heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua survived a dramatic opening-round scare before producing a stunning comeback to knock out Kristian Prenga in the second round, putting himself firmly back on course for a long-awaited blockbuster showdown with Tyson Fury.
Joshua, who entered the contest under enormous pressure to prove that he remains a major force in heavyweight boxing, was forced to dig deep after Prenga stunned him early in the fight.
The British-Nigerian heavyweight was reportedly sent to the canvas twice during a chaotic opening round as Prenga attempted to produce what would have been one of the biggest upsets of Joshua’s career.
Rather than allowing the early setbacks to derail his comeback, Joshua regrouped and returned with greater urgency.
The former unified heavyweight champion turned the fight around in the second round, unleashing the decisive attack that brought Prenga’s challenge to an abrupt end and secured Joshua another knockout victory.
The result represents another important step in Joshua’s attempt to rebuild his position among the heavyweight division’s biggest names.
For the 2012 Olympic super-heavyweight gold medalist, the contest carried significance beyond simply adding another victory to his professional record.
Joshua has spent much of his career at the centre of British heavyweight boxing, winning multiple world titles and participating in some of the division’s biggest fights.
His career, however, has also experienced major setbacks.
Joshua suffered his first professional defeat against Andy Ruiz Jr. in June 2019 in one of heavyweight boxing’s biggest modern upsets. He reclaimed his heavyweight titles in their rematch six months later in Saudi Arabia.
He subsequently lost his championships to Oleksandr Usyk in September 2021 and was again defeated by the Ukrainian in their 2022 rematch.
Despite those defeats, Joshua continued his attempt to return to heavyweight championship contention, recording victories as he sought to rebuild his career and potentially secure another world-title opportunity.
The Prenga fight therefore represented another important test of whether the former champion still possessed the power and resilience required to compete at the highest level.
Although his vulnerability in the opening round could raise questions about his defence ahead of tougher opposition, Joshua’s ability to recover and finish the contest demonstrated the punching power that has defined much of his professional career.
