Anthony Joshua survived two first-round knockdowns to blast out Kristian Prenga inside two rounds at the Jeddah Superdome, completing his side of the bargain that now sets up a long-awaited heavyweight showdown with Tyson Fury before the end of 2026.
Prenga, unbeaten in 20 fights coming in, landed an uppercut inside the first 30 seconds that put Joshua down, then floored him again before the bell, leaving Joshua needing to survive the rest of the round on instinct alone. He did more than survive. Early in round two he found his range and unloaded a finishing right hook that sent Prenga through the ropes, closing the show and improving his own record to 30-4.
A response built on pure resolve
Photo: IMAGO
Few would have blamed Joshua for a cautious remainder of the fight after such a shaky start against a durable, in-form opponent, but he instead answered in the most direct way available to him. “This is what champions do: we rise. We get knocked down and stand up,” he said afterwards, a fair summary of exactly what the fight had asked of him.
The Fury fight is now a formality away
Promoter Eddie Hearn has maintained that Joshua and Fury are already under contract for a fight later in 2026, with both men’s tune-up assignments there purely to protect the size of the occasion. Fury took care of his side of it in Thailand the previous day, stopping Mariusz Wach, meaning the only thing left standing between British boxing and its biggest domestic superfight in years is a date and a venue. “I hope the fans will be in for a lovely treat,” Joshua said of the prospect.
A statement win regardless of what comes next
Whatever the knockdowns suggested about Joshua’s chin at 36, the finish suggested his power and composure under real pressure haven’t gone anywhere. For a fight as big as the one now being lined up against Fury, that response, rather than the opening ninety seconds, is likely to be the more relevant data point.
