Anthony Joshua knocked out Kristian Prenga in the second round in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday night, despite being dropped twice by the Albanian heavyweight in a chaotic opening round.
Joshua, 35, was wrestled to the canvas during a wild first round that appeared to threaten his comeback before it had properly begun. He dug in, weathered the storm, and found another gear in the second round, landing a devastating combination that left Prenga sprawled on his back.
Joshua admitted afterwards that the fight had been "tough." He fought back tears in the ring before breaking into a broad smile moments later.
Reaction to a chaotic night
Commentator Ian Darke wrote on X that a future fight between Joshua and Tyson Fury "is surely not going to last long." He said the bout "will make both men zillions, but it might be a question of which of these old warriors has the most left," adding that Joshua's "punch resistance looks to have gone, which is alarming."
Joshua showed respect to Prenga at the end of the fight, and both Oleksandr Usyk and promoter Eddie Hearn embraced him in the ring.
Joshua on refusing to walk away
Speaking to Daily Mail Sport's Charlotte Daly days before the fight, Joshua said, "I never considered walking away." The interview came after what was described as the darkest chapter of his life and an unimaginable tragedy that had left the boxing world reeling.
Prenga's second-round change
Prenga had Joshua in serious trouble in the first round before appearing to retreat into his shell in the second, a shift that puzzled observers watching the fight unfold.
Ringside reaction and conspiracy talk
Turki Alalshikh had a ringside view of the knockout.
Former Crystal Palace chairman Simon Jordan questioned the fight on X, writing, "Not having that Anthony Joshua fight. Dropped twice and sets the tempo, how's that? Prenga totally different in second [round]. Something not quite right, all designed to rinse maximum amount of money."
Jake Paul, who fought Joshua in his previous bout, wrote on X, "Happy for Joshua with that win after all he's been through. Remembering Sina and Latz with this one."
Elsewhere on the card, Hamzah Sheeraz retained his title by majority decision.