Joshua secures knockout victory in Jeddah
Anthony Joshua secured a knockout victory against Kristian Prenga in their recent fight in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The bout saw a dramatic start, with Joshua being knocked down twice in the first round. Despite this, he recovered to deliver a decisive blow in the second round, sending Prenga almost through the ropes with a right hand.
The fight marked Joshua’s return to the ring following a car crash in Nigeria that resulted in the deaths of two close friends, Sina Ghami and Latif ‘Latz’ Ayodele. This incident occurred just ten days after Joshua had defeated Jake Paul in Miami.
Prenga, an Albanian fighter, entered the bout with a record of 20 victories, all by stoppage, and only one defeat. However, he had not faced an opponent of Joshua’s calibre before this fight. Joshua, a two-time world champion and Olympic gold medallist, holds a record of 29 wins, with 26 by stoppage, and four losses.
Anticipation for Fury showdown
The fight against Prenga was viewed as a preparatory bout for Joshua, with a potential showdown against Tyson Fury anticipated to take place later in the year. The long-awaited fight between Joshua and Fury has been discussed for a decade, with contracts reportedly signed for the blockbuster event.
Fury had recently secured a dominant seven-round victory over Mariusz Wach in Thailand. There was speculation that Fury might attend Joshua’s fight in Jeddah, having reportedly vowed to fly in from Thailand. However, Spencer Brown, Fury’s manager, confirmed that Fury would not be ringside for the event.
Prior to the fight, many boxing figures offered their predictions. Former two-weight world champion Natasha Jonas predicted a late stoppage win for Joshua, advising caution in the early rounds due to Prenga’s history of early stoppages. Carl Frampton, another former two-weight world champion, expected Joshua to finish the fight by the third or fourth round.
Josh Kelly, the IBF light-middleweight world champion, praised Joshua’s mental resilience in returning to the ring. He noted that a performing Anthony Joshua presents a difficult challenge for any opponent, urging him to focus on his job without overthinking. Adam Smith, a DAZN commentator, anticipated an emphatic victory for Joshua within the first four rounds, highlighting Prenga’s lack of experience at Joshua’s level.
Trainer Adam Booth described Prenga as a fascinating opponent, noting his background as a tough unbeaten kickboxer. Booth expected Joshua to appear fresh, establish a quick jab, and secure a clean win. Former super-featherweight world champion Barry Jones stated that any version of Joshua would be too much for Prenga, predicting a stoppage within three or four rounds.
Other predictions included a brutal knockout by Joshua within three rounds from former cruiserweight world champion Tony Bellew, and a similar early brutal win from former middleweight world champion Darren Barker. Trainer Dave Coldwell suggested that Joshua would win whenever he chose, potentially lasting four or five rounds, depending on whether he wanted to practice with his new team. DAZN presenter Ade Oladipo predicted a knockout between rounds three and five, while former lightweight world champion Anthony Crolla expected Joshua to take his time and knock Prenga out in three rounds.
Undercard results
On the undercard of the event, Hamzah Sheeraz successfully defended his WBO super-middleweight title against Simon Zachenhuber. The judges’ scores for this fight were 114-114, 115-113, and 116-112, with Sheeraz retaining his title despite one judge scoring it as a draw. Sheeraz acknowledged that it was not his best performance but expressed his intention to move forward.
Additionally, Josh Kelly retained the IBF super-welterweight belt after a battle with Caoimhin Agyarko. Radio commentary for the main event began at approximately 20:30 BST on BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Sounds, and the BBC Sport website and app, with live text commentary starting at 19:30 on the BBC Sport website and app.
Source: bbc.com
Sam Whitlock is a Sports News Writer at News-GB.org. He moved from local newspapers into digital sport. He focuses on rugby union, golf and boxing and is known for clear, deadline-driven reporting. He holds a degree in Journalism from the University of Gloucestershire and completed an NCTJ diploma. Now based in Gloucester, he plays amateur rugby and follows the fight game. “Clarity beats cleverness in breaking sport news.”