Anthony Joshua Survives Two Knockdowns to KO Prenga and Clear the Fury Path

Anthony Joshua nearly walked into the worst night of his career before rescuing it. In Jeddah on Friday, 35-year-old Albanian-American underdog Kristian Prenga floored the former unified champion twice in the opening round, only for Joshua to steady himself and stop Prenga at 2:43 of Round 2. The win moves Joshua to 30-4 (27 KO) and, more importantly, keeps his long-chased fight with Tyson Fury on the table.

It was ugly before it was decisive. Joshua, now 36, looked every bit his age against a man who wasn't even considered a genuine contender — and who, incidentally, was the first actual professional boxer AJ had beaten since 2023. Two trips to the canvas against that level of opposition is not the résumé line a fighter wants when a mega-fight is being finalized.

The Fury Fight Is Basically On

Fury had his own tune-up the same week, stopping 46-year-old Mariusz Wach in Thailand to sit at 36-2-1 (25 KO) as the sport's #3-ranked heavyweight. He'd repeatedly insisted he wouldn't fly to Saudi Arabia for Joshua's fight, and he was true to his word — no ring walk, no confrontation, just a no-show that some had hoped was theater. It wasn't.

Joshua, for his part, said the intrigue is over and the matchup is here. He talked about respecting everything Fury has achieved while carrying the fire of a man who's been calling for the bout for years. There's still no date or venue attached, but everything points to it landing.

What the Numbers Say

The concern is obvious. Joshua sits unranked in our database, and a display like this — dropped twice by a fringe operator — doesn't quiet the questions about whether his best years are gone. He said champions rise after getting knocked down, and to his credit, he did exactly that on the night.

Whether that resilience holds up against a genuine top-three heavyweight is the whole story now. Joshua handled Prenga, called him a strong fighter with a bright future, and got out with his hand raised. Against Fury, surviving two knockdowns and finding a second-round finish is not a formula you'd want to rely on.