Temi Kings
In one of the most chaotic and emotion-charged nights in modern heavyweight boxing, former two-time world champion Anthony Joshua produced a heart-stopping, visceral comeback at the Jeddah Superdome in Saudi Arabia. Returning to the ring for his first contest of 2026, and his first fight since tragically losing his close friends and corner pillars Sina Ghami and Latif “Latz” Ayodele in a December car accident, Joshua survived a catastrophic opening round where he was dropped twice before starching Albania’s Kristian Prenga with a devastating second-round knockout.
The bout began in nightmarish fashion for the British star. Just twenty seconds into the opening round, Prenga caught a dazed Joshua with a crunching right uppercut that sent him crashing heavily to the canvas. Though Joshua beat the count, his legs remained unsteady, and Prenga swarmed with aggressive blitzes. With seconds remaining in the first round, another barrage floored Joshua a second time. Saved by the bell while staring down what seemed like an incredible upset defeat, Joshua hauled himself back to his corner to regroup.
Refusing to yield, Joshua emerged for the second round with a drastically renewed sense of urgency. He began asserting jab control to neutralize Prenga’s momentum, setting up heavy right hands that immediately backed the Albanian toward the ropes. At the 2:43 mark of the second round, Joshua uncorked a pulverizing right cross flush to the jaw. Prenga was instantly crumpled against the bottom rope, unable to beat the referee’s count, sealing a thunderous turnaround victory.
The victory transcended pure sport, serving as a deeply emotional milestone for the former champion. Fighting back tears during his post-fight ring interview, Joshua dedicated the grueling comeback to his late brothers Sina and Latz, stating that spirit and family carried him up off the canvas when everything seemed lost. With Prenga dispatched and the ring rust cleared, the win keeps Joshua squarely on course for a massive undisputed showdown against Tyson Fury later this year.
