Joshua bounces back, knocks out Prenga in 2nd round

By Chimamanda Ezenwa

British-Nigerian heavyweight boxer Anthony Joshua marked a successful return to the ring on Saturday night, defeating Kristian Prenga by second-round knockout at the Jeddah Superdome in Saudi Arabia.

The victory was Joshua’s first competitive outing since surviving a road accident on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway in December last year, an incident that claimed the lives of two of his close friends who also served as his trainers.

Despite enduring a difficult start to the contest, the 36-year-old staged an impressive comeback. Prenga sent Joshua to the canvas twice in the opening round, first with a powerful uppercut just 20 seconds into the bout before another knockdown moments later. The former world champion, however, beat the referee’s count on both occasions and remained in the fight.

Joshua completely turned the tide in the second round, taking control with a series of aggressive punches that left Prenga unable to respond. He eventually unleashed a crushing hook that almost knocked the Albanian-born boxer out of the ring, sealing a dramatic knockout victory.

The triumph improved Joshua’s professional record to 30 wins from 34 fights, with 27 of those victories coming by knockout. For Prenga, it was only the second defeat of his 22-fight career.

The win also marked the 10th time Joshua has recorded a second-round knockout during his professional career. The Sagamu-born fighter remains one of boxing’s most accomplished heavyweights, having previously held the unified world heavyweight titles on two occasions.

Joshua’s latest victory is expected to pave the way for a long-awaited showdown with fellow British heavyweight Tyson Fury in the proposed “Battle of Britain,” with the bout anticipated to take place later this year on a date yet to be confirmed.