Joshua’s triumphant ring return paves way for blockbuster all-British bout with Fury
Fight in Jeddah was the first for the two-time heavyweight world champion since he was involved in a car crash in Nigeria in December
Two-time heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua survived two early knockdowns on the way to a second-round knockout of Kristian Prenga on Sunday, his triumphant ring return paving the way for a blockbuster all-British bout with Tyson Fury.
The fight at the Jeddah Superdome was Joshua’s first since he was involved in a car crash in Nigeria in December that killed two of his close friends, Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele.
The 36-year-old choked up when asked in the ring about his friends and the emotions of the past seven months, but said his second-round revival was down to more than pure punching power.
“That was spirit, that was Latz, that was Sina. That was family,” he said.
The devastating accident occurred little more than a week after Joshua demolished YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in a controversial Netflix-backed bout in December.
Joshua’s last prior competitive appearance in the ring was his fifth-round knockout loss to IBF world champion Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium in September 2024.