Former two-time world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua survived two shock first-round knockdowns before roaring back to knock out Albania’s Kristian Prenga in the second round at the Kingdom Arena on Sunday morning, dedicating the hard-fought win to his late friends Sina Ghami and Abdul Latif “Latz” Ayodele.
Returning to the ring for the first time since surviving a fatal car accident on Nigeria’s Lagos–Ibadan Expressway in December, the 36-year-old British-Nigerian star faced immediate danger: Prenga, a heavy-handed 20-1 challenger, stunned the crowd within seconds by dropping Joshua with a sharp right uppercut and knocking him down a second time before the opening bell.
Refusing to capitulate, Joshua reset under the guidance of his corner in the second round, taking control with a sharp jab. With seconds remaining in the second round, Joshua landed a brutal right-hand combination that sent Prenga folding into the ropes, forcing the referee to halt the contest immediately.
Walking into the arena clad in camouflage gear featuring the names of Ghami and Ayodele printed across his chest, Joshua was visibly overcome with emotion following the dramatic conclusion. “It’s more than punch power,” an emotional Joshua said inside the ring.
“That was spirit, that was Latz, that was Sina, that was the family. It hurts even talking about it. It’s what champions do: we rise. We get knocked down, we stand up, and we keep going. That is life’s motto.”
The stoppage extends Joshua’s record to 30-4 (27 KOs) and clears the final hurdle for a proposed blockbuster fight against long-time British rival Tyson Fury, currently slated for November.
