Anthony Joshua has set up a long-awaited fight against Tyson Fury (Image: Getty)
Anthony Joshua has reflected on a turbulent couple of years after surviving a huge scare to knock out Kristian Prenga in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The victory has paved the way for a titanic showdown against fellow British boxer Tyson Fury – who opted not to attend Saturday’s bout in order to spend time with his family.
The all-British contest appeared to be under threat after Joshua was struck with a powerful body shot in the first round against Prenga, followed by a knockdown. The 36-year-old pulled through, however, as Prenga failed to make the most of his opportunity in the second round.
After the bell spared Joshua from a catastrophic defeat, he regrouped in the following round to catch Prenga with a sharp jab and right cross combination. He then followed up with a devastating flurry of blows, leaving the Albanian half draped over the ropes to seal the victory.
The win carried particular emotional weight for Joshua, who was involved in a tragic car accident just months ago in Nigeria, which claimed the lives of Ayodele and Ghami. Joshua’s late friends were also valued members of his close-knit training team.
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The former heavyweight champion narrowly escaped death when the vehicle he was travelling in with three others collided with a lorry on a Nigerian motorway back in December. Joshua has now taken stock of an incredibly challenging period following his latest contest.
Joshua eventually secured a stoppage-win (Image: Getty)
He said: “I want to give a massive thank you to Kristian Prenga and his team for putting up a good fight. It means a lot to them and to me and that’s why you see what you see in the ring.
“I also give thanks to God. It was more than me which picked me up, it can’t just be me in those situations, so there is a higher calling.
“He’s a strong guy. I think Eddie Hearn wants to sign him now. But he’s going to do well, he’s got a bright future. I’m a serious fighter, I know what I’m doing and I know my way around the ring.
“Maybe with a bit more experience he’ll be up there with the rest of us. But he’s a serious fighter, he’s strong, durable and he came and gave me a good test.
“But that’s what champions do. We rise. We get knocked down, we rise up and we keep going. That’s life. That’s life.”
When questioned about the accident, a visibly emotional Joshua had to gather himself before responding: “It’s been tough… They are my brothers, I don’t want to talk about it.”
Joshua was understandably emotional (Image: Getty)
Many had anticipated Fury would attend Saturday’s fight following his stoppage victory over Mariusz Wach in a low-key bout in Thailand on Friday, which kept a potential clash with Joshua alive. However, the 37-year-old was conspicuous by his absence.
Fury’s manager, Spencer Brown, explained to BBC Radio 5 Live before the fight why Fury wasn’t present. He said: “I’ve told everybody, he is not coming into the building. He’s gone home to see his wife, and his children. I’ve been telling everybody that for two days.
“If he comes to it now, it would be an apparition. That’s all I’m going to say, it would be a hologram. It would not be him. I’ve just spoke to him, he’s nearly home, just flown home from Thailand, he’s looking forward to seeing his children.”
Contracts for the Joshua versus Fury clash have reportedly been signed, though the location and date for the long-awaited showdown remain undisclosed, with discussions between potential venues such as Wembley and sites in the US still ongoing.