Anthony Joshua defeated Kristian Prenga by knockout in the second round in Jeddah, but the dramatic start to the fight only fueled fans' appetite for the long-awaited all-British clash with Tyson Fury.
Anthony Joshua defeated Albanian boxer Kristian Prenga by knockout in the second round in Jeddah in the early hours of Sunday, July 26, but the path to victory was far from easy. The former world heavyweight champion suffered two shocking knockdowns in the first round, momentarily throwing the fight itself and all subsequent plans into question.
Joshua, 36, entered the fight as a clear favorite, but Prenga surprised him with an aggressive start and knocked him down twice in the first round. In the second round, the former champion turned the tables with a series of punches to the opponent's head, who ended up unconscious on the bottom rope, half out of the ring, where the referee counted him out. Prenga was in such a position that the referee stopped the fight and declared Joshua the winner by technical knockout.
After the fight, Joshua spoke about the moments that could have changed everything.
"Those moments show what kind of person you are because those aren't things we prepare for. You know, deep in your heart, you'll come to a minute in life, to a moment, to a second, where you need to click and go. And the 'fight or flight' moment came, and I chose to fight", Joshua told reporters. He also reflected on the long-awaited fight with Fury: "Now we had big plans on the horizon, a lot of talk about this fight with Tyson Fury. Will it happen? Where is it? When? And it was nearly taken from us within three minutes, and I said 'no, no, no, no.'"
While Joshua was tested in Jeddah, Tyson Fury, 37, had already completed his own warm-up fight with a winning result on Friday, July 24. Both British giants thus enter the announced bout with recent performances behind them, which promoters and fans consider ideal preparation for the big clash.
Immediately after Joshua's victory, speculation arose that the match between the two British heavyweight greats could be moved outside the United Kingdom, possibly to one of the wealthy Arab destinations that increasingly attract top boxing events. Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn quickly dismissed such rumors.
"No, unless you want to renegotiate the contract. We insisted that this fight takes place in the United Kingdom and I know AJ sometimes wants to be a peacemaker, but the reality is he told me: 'I want the fight in the United Kingdom. This is a British fight.' I couldn't agree more", Hearn stated.
London's Wembley Stadium is mentioned as the most likely venue for the fight, which could host one of the biggest British boxing events in history. Hearn emphasized that the contract is already signed and there are no obstacles to its realization.
"Let's be honest, this is a fight for the British public... this is something that will be remembered across all generations, forever. There's nothing I need to do for the fight to happen, the fight is signed, the fight is agreed, so we'll see what the coming weeks bring", the promoter concluded.
Both Joshua and Fury are former world heavyweight champions who, by all indications, are on the downward trajectory of their careers. Despite that, interest from British and global boxing fans in their match remains exceptionally high. Joshua's dramatic victory over Prenga, in which he showed character by going from knockdowns to a finishing win, only further ignited the imagination of the public that has been waiting for this all-British heavyweight clash for decades.
