Anthony Joshua Survives Anthony Joshua has made a winning return to the ring, recovering from two first-round knockdowns before stopping Kristian Prenga in the second round of their heavyweight clash in Saudi Arabia.
The British-Nigerian boxer produced a stunning turnaround at the Jeddah Superdome on Saturday night, July 25, 2026, securing his first victory since the December 2025 car crash on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway that claimed the lives of his two close friends and trainers.
Joshua, 36, was sent to the canvas twice in the opening round after being caught by Prenga’s punches. He survived the count after the first knockdown, but was floored again moments later and appeared vulnerable as he struggled to beat the referee’s count before the end of the round.
However, the second round brought a dramatic change in momentum.
Joshua came out aggressively, unleashing a flurry of punches before landing a devastating hook that sent Prenga crashing towards the ropes. The Albanian failed to land a single punch in the round as Joshua completed a remarkable comeback with a brutal knockout.
The victory takes Joshua’s professional record to 30 wins in 34 bouts, including 27 victories by knockout. For Prenga, it was only the second defeat of his 22-fight professional career.
The win also marked Joshua’s 10th second-round knockout in a decorated career that has seen the Sagamu-born boxer become a two-time unified heavyweight world champion.
Joshua’s latest victory could now pave the way for a long-awaited clash with fellow British heavyweight, Tyson Fury, in the proposed ‘Battle of Britain’. A date for the potential fight is expected to be announced later this year.
