Former heavyweight champion, Anthony Joshua, survived a turbulent opening round before knocking out Kristian Prenga in the second round of their heavyweight contest.
According to BBC Sport on Saturday, Joshua endured an early scare after Prenga started aggressively and landed a series of heavy punches that sent the Briton to the canvas twice in the opening round.
The knockdowns briefly raised the prospect of a major upset, with Prenga appearing to have Joshua under serious pressure.
Joshua, however, recovered and gradually regained control of the fight, relying on his experience and power to turn the contest in his favour.
After surviving the difficult opening round, Joshua increased the pressure in the second and began landing cleaner combinations.
The 36-year-old eventually connected with a powerful right hand, with the final blow dropping the Albanian heavyweight and prompting the referee to stop the fight.
The victory marked a dramatic turnaround for Joshua after the problems he encountered in the opening minutes of the contest.
Speaking after the fight, an emotional Joshua said the victory carried deeper personal significance.
“It’s more than punch power. That was spirit, that was Latz, that was Sina, that was the family. It hurts to even talk about it. It has been tough,” Joshua said.
He became emotional and briefly stepped away from the microphone before adding, “It’s my brother. I don’t want to talk about it.”
Attention also remained on the possibility of a future fight between Joshua and fellow British heavyweight Tyson Fury.
There had been speculation that Fury could make an appearance at the event, although he had earlier insisted that he would not attend.
Fury stayed away, barely 24 hours after recording his own warm-up victory over Mariusz Wach in Thailand.
Joshua, however, said he respected Fury’s achievements and welcomed the prospect of finally facing him.
“I respect everything he has done and everything that he has achieved, but as a fighting person, we’re here now. I hope the fans will be in for a lovely treat,” Joshua said.
Joshua-Fury Fight Still Awaiting Date
Contracts for the long-awaited Joshua-Fury showdown have reportedly been signed, but the venue and date for the heavyweight contest have yet to be announced.
The proposed fight has been discussed for more than a decade and remains one of the most anticipated all-British heavyweight clashes.
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