
Anthony Joshua successfully passed the final test with Albanian Kristian Prenga before the long-awaited super challenge with Tyson Fury in November, but not without suffering.
Although he won, the British boxer was knocked to the mat twice in the first round by Prenga, coming very close to a shocking defeat.
Joshua managed to turn everything around with a powerful knockout in the second round. The decisive blow left Preng lying on the mat, caught between the ropes of the ring, giving the former world champion the victory and avoiding a humiliation that would have jeopardized his long-awaited duel with Tyson Fury.
After the first three minutes of the fight, the planned fight with Fury seemed to be on the verge of failure. Joshua, however, reacted with determination and managed to return, saving not only this challenge, but also the continuation of his career. This was Joshua's first fight since the car accident last December, which killed two of his closest friends, Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele.
For this duel, the Briton had prepared with Oleksandr Usyk and his team, aiming to benefit from the experience of his former rival. Just 20 seconds into the challenge, Prenga surprised him with a strong "uppercut" right, which immediately knocked him to the mat. Joshua got up shaken and, in the middle of the round, continued to have difficulty balancing. About 30 seconds before the end of the first round, the Albanian knocked him down again, putting him very close to defeat.
But Joshua reacted at the end of the round and entered the second with a different rhythm. He immediately put Prenga in trouble, who began to retreat under the blows of the Briton. Moments later, Joshua ended the fight with a spectacular knockout, securing the victory and keeping alive the long-awaited super challenge against Tyson Fury.