In heavyweight boxing, one punch can change everything.
Rarely has that adage been as relevant as on Saturday, when Anthony Joshua got caught cold by Kristian Prenga, who checked Joshua’s chin with a right uppercut and dropped him just 19 seconds into the first round of their heavyweight bout at the Jeddah Superdome in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
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For years, former unified heavyweight champion Joshua (30-4, 27 KOs) has been linked with his compatriot, Tyson Fury. And though they could have fought thrice already, a Joshua win this weekend was expected to finally tee up that long-awaited superfight following Fury’s finish of Mariusz Wach in Thailand on Friday.
But Prenga (20-2, 20 KOs) showed, with just one punch, that over-marination of a fight is in fact very real. Sometimes it’s better just to book the damned thing.
Because if Prenga’s uppercut wasn’t enough to demonstrate that upsets can happen, the Albanian puncher drove the point home again with a barrage of blows later in the opening round, causing Joshua to touch the canvas for a second time, this time with his glove, and forcing the referee to give Joshua a second 10-count.
Alas, when it comes to battles between big men, big punches can do a lot of things. And one big punch can change everything.
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Joshua, you see, was not done.
It took Joshua seven months to return to the ring following his sixth-round knockout of crossover sensation Jake Paul last December. Tragedy stuck shortly after that win, with a car accident claiming the lives of two of Joshua’s best friends and nearly taking Joshua’s own as well. The former champ grieved. He mourned. His promoter, Eddie Hearn, said he’d give Joshua space to return only when he was ready.
Saturday was that comeback. Hearn said, upon watching that first round, that maybe the 36-year-old Brit had come back “too soon.” Maybe he wasn’t ready.
But a “higher power” roused him, Joshua said. Something “more than” helped get Joshua off the canvas, and it ensured he survived a near-calamitous opening round.
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A minute break before the second round was all Joshua needed to recover. Shortly thereafter, a big right hand, a short-range left and then a clubbing punch sent Prenga to the canvas. He fell onto the bottom rung of the ropes, hanging awkwardly off it.
The referee counted, but Prenga didn’t make it. It was all over. Joshua prevailed in one of the wildest, weirdest, two-round shootouts in modern combat sports history.
The fight ensures Joshua can now move ahead into a Fury mega-fight, tentatively planned for later in the year — a bout Hearn said is already “signed.”
But that wasn’t the only drama on the day.
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Earlier, Hamzah Sheeraz (24-0-1, 19 KOs) retained his WBO super middleweight world title with a listless win over Simon Zachenhuber (29-2, 19 KOs), IBF super welterweight champion Josh Kelly (19-1-1, 9 KOs) was unfazed at his mask of blood as he bested Caoimhin Agyarko (18-1, 7 KOs) on the scorecards, and Reito Tsatsumi (5-0, 4 KOs) reiterated his reputation as one to watch with a bludgeoning of Alvino Herrera (18-1-2, 11 KOs).
Two other standouts on the 13-bout card included Oleksandr Khyzniak (2-0, 2 KOs), who battered Lenny Patrach (8-1-1, 5 KOs) in two rounds, and Nishant Dev (7-0, 5 KOs), who only needed one to overcome Cesar Diaz (10-3, 5 KOs).
Main card
Heavyweight: Anthony Joshua def. Kristian Prenga by second-round KO
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WBO super middleweight title: Hamzah Sheeraz def. Simon Zachenhuber via majority decision (114-114, 115-113, 116-112)
IBF super welterweight title: Josh Kelly def. Caoimhin Agyarko via unanimous decision (114-113, 115-112, 115-112)
Super featherweight: Reito Tsutsumi def. Alvino Herrera via second-round TKO | Watch finish
Super middleweight: Jacob Bank def. Pawel August via unanimous decision (80-72, 80-72, 80-72)
Super welterweight: Nishant Dev def. Cesar Diaz via first-round TKO | Watch finish
Preliminary card
Light heavyweight: Oleksandr Khyzniak def. Lenny Patrach via second-round TKO | Watch finish
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Super lightweight: Ziyad Almaayouf def. Frank Mango via unanimous decision (78-71, 77-72, 77-72)
Flyweight: Mikie Tallon def. Orlando Pino via first-round KO | Watch finish
Super featherweights: Mohammed Alakel def. Lydon Chircop via fifth-round TKO | Watch finish
Featherweight: Sultan Almohammed def. Efren Besalduch via third-round TKO
Middleweight: Omar Hikal def. Brian Castellano via unanimous decision (40-35, 40-35, 40-35)
Super lightweight: Mohamed Moubarak def. Bryan Zapata via unanimous decision (39-37, 40-36, 40-36)
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Uncrowned Staff
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Alan Dawson
“We’ve signed the contract. Everything is done,” Eddie Hearn said.
“Tonight is about the strength he showed to be here tonight, and in that fight. No one can imagine what he’s been through in seven months.
“In that first round, I thought we’ve come back too soon,” Hearn added. “When you go down a couple times and looking like your career might be over, you go into the depths [to pull off a remarkable win],” he said.
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Alan Dawson
“Kristian Prenga and his team put up a good fight. It was more than me that picked me up. A higher power,” Anthony Joshua said, post-fight. “He’s a strong guy. A serious fighter. Durable. He gave me a good test. We get knocked down, we stand up, we keep going. That’s life’s motto.”
“Have we got Tyson Fury in the ring?”
The answer, as Joshua looked for his career rival, was no. Fury hadn’t turned up.
“I respect everything he’s done, but as a fighting person, who has been calling for this fight. We’re here now. I hope the fans will be in for a treat.”
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Alan Dawson
Joshua went from looking completely shot to salvaging what is surely the final big payday of his career, against Tyson Fury.
A fight between two, washed, past-prime heavyweights who should have boxed one another three times already.
Truly, the spectacle we all deserve.
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Uncrowned Staff
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Alan Dawson
Joshua looks a touch calmer in the second round but Prenga can score damage by closing the gap on him. We’ve waited all day for drama and boy, do we have it. Prenga hits him with an uppercut from the inside. Joshua lands his own heavy hits. Especially a right hand. And oh my GOD! Joshua almost punched him out of the ring! It’s OVER! A comeback knockout win for the ages! What on Earth is this sport?! This is boxing!
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Alan Dawson
Kristian Prenga with a right hand puts Joshua in trouble early, an uppercut, too! Anthony Joshua is down! KNOCKDOWN! Joshua is up but already on weak legs! Every shot looks like it could be a disaster for Joshua! He’s down again! His glove touched the canvas! This is SURELY retirement territory. There is nothing left. What an upset win brewing for Prenga. My goodness. Joshua does well to survive the round but what an awful positive to look for.
Round 1: 10-7 — Prenga
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Uncrowned Staff
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Alan Dawson
Kristian Prenga walks out to intense Euro beats, looking to advance his record from 20-1 (20 KOs).
Now Joshua appears. And he’s accompanied by an odd choice of music. Odder than the Albanian’s entrance. He looked explosive on the pads in the warm-up. He’s got the name of his friends on the canvas — his two best mates who died in a tragic car accident he was injured in, too, late last year. He’s appeared relaxed all week, and said he’s looking to keep his mind active as he’s not ready for it all to sink in.
They’re both in the ring.
Michael Buffer is on the mic.
LET’S GET THIS PARTY STARTED.
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Alan Dawson
We’ve got more promos, podcasts, and unnecessary filling of airtime but it looks like we’ll get ringwalks in two minutes.
Phew.
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Alan Dawson
If we have another fight go the distance, we’re officially hitting the 10-hour mark. And it’s not been a festival of fighting. It’s been boring boxing.
Anthony Joshua, or Kristian Prenga, are our only hope to feel like we can walk away from this card feeling okay about ourselves and our life choices.
If the organizers of this card wanted an AJ win to make the Tyson Fury fight, and if Tyson is really in Jeddah, then Prenga has the opportunity, right here, right now, to do the FUNNIEST thing.
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Alan Dawson
And it’s Hamzah Sheeraz — but only by majority decision.
One judge wanted to award a draw, 114-114, but they were overruled by scores of 115-113 and 116-112.
Sheeraz retains his WBO super middleweight world tltle, but his stock drops.
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Alan Dawson
The crowd is actually whistling.
They hate it as much as me.
One of us! One of us! One of us!
I’m so glad it’s over.
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Alan Dawson
Drama in a random MMA organization as a fighter reaches into his shorts to light up an owl after finishing his opponent.
Pass that my way, son.
Anything to get through this Joshua-Prenga event.
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Alan Dawson
I don’t want to give up on this fight. Zachenhuber keeps plugging away. Sheeraz has moments of good work but it’s all few and far between. Sheeraz was marketed as the future of the super middleweight division but on this performance he’ll be criticized as overhyped. And rightfully so.
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Alan Dawson
Chris Mannix says similar.
Round 8: 77-75 — Sheeraz
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Alan Dawson
Hamzah Sheeraz has tried very little and he’s out of ideas. He’s still coming forward but there’s no creativity or anything. No adjustment. This is a star-shrinking performance, even if he does eek out the decision.
Round 7: 68-65 — Sheeraz
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Alan Dawson
Sheeraz and Zachenhuber exchange body shots in the sixth. By the midway point, Sheeraz is out-landing the challenger by more than a rate of two to one. The quality of the shots Zachenhuber connects with, though, pales in comparison to the force Sheeraz hurls his hooks with. Ultimately, though, I’m reaching here for anything interesting. This is incredibly boring. If you’re following this live blog, without paying for the pay-per-view, you’ve done the right thing.
Round 6: 59-55 — Sheeraz
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Alan Dawson
AND THIS ONE DOESN’T.
It’s another boring bout. Ugh.
The matchmaking has sucked, gifting lay-ups to the A-sides. I’ve seen some of the same promos and social media reporting clips over and over.
This event could be trimmed by 50% and it would have been improved by 500%.
Round 5: 50-45 — Sheeraz.
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