Anthony Joshua suffered two knockdowns - the first happening after just 20 seconds - before recovering to dramatically stop Kristian Prenga in the second round of his comeback fight in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

The British heavyweight was fighting for the first time since surviving the December car crash in Nigeria that claimed the lives of his close friends Sina Ghami and Latif 'Latz' Ayodele.

He was sensationally rocked by a huge uppercut from underdog Prenga in the opening round, and then hit the canvas again later in the round.

At that point he looked on the verge of one of the biggest shock defeats in heavyweight history, with the long-awaited Tyson Fury fight hanging by a thread.

But Joshua produced one of the greatest escapes of his career, and now that fight is on.

He unleashed his right hand in the second round, with the final shot sending Albanian Prenga crashing down and forcing the referee to halt the contest.

"It's more than punch power. That was spirit, that was Latz, that was Sina, that was the families. It hurts to even talk about it. It has been tough," Joshua, 36, said.

He choked up and stepped away from the microphone, before adding: "It's my brothers. I don't want to talk about it."

There had been speculation fellow Briton Fury might make a appearance despite insisting he would not attend.

But the master of mind games stayed true to his word, with Fury nowhere to be seen barely 24 hours on from his own warm-up win over Mariusz Wach in Thailand.

"I respect everything he has done and everything that he has achieved, but as a fighting person, we're here now. I hope the fans will be in for a lovely treat," Joshua said about the prospect of fighting Fury.

Contracts have been signed, but the venue and date for a fight more than a decade in the making are still unknown.

This chaotic night, however, belonged to Joshua in a victory forged through adversity during the most difficult months of his life.

Down but not out for AJ on emotional return

Anthony Joshua on the canvas after being dropped by Kristan Prenga Image source,Getty Images

Joshua survived two knockdowns to record the 27th stoppage of his career. PHOTO: Getty ImagesG

Given the circumstances, this was never going to be a straightforward return for Joshua. Few, however, could have predicted the drama that unfolded inside six minutes.

Joshua carried the names of Ghami and Ayodele on his chest and walked to the ring alongside his entire team in a quiet show of unity. The canvas carried their names too, alongside the words 'My Brother's Keeper'.

His comeback could scarcely have begun in any worse fashion. Just 20 seconds in, a right uppercut from Prenga sent Joshua crashing to the canvas and stunned the arena.

Joshua smiled as he climbed to his feet. Prenga, who arrived with 20 knockouts from his 20 victories but little profile even with boxing's hardcore followers, sensed an opportunity.

Promoter Eddie Hearn barked instructions from ringside, while Joshua stablemate Oleksandr Usyk watched on with a look of concern.

A left uppercut later in the round dumped Joshua on the canvas again. He was still unsteady at the start of the second round and appeared to be there for the taking, but Prenga surprisingly began to box off the back foot and let the Watford fighter off the hook.

Joshua capitalised and using his years of experience - and perhaps the emotion - he drew Prenga on to a jab before uncorking a crushing right hand. More rights followed as Prenga collapsed to the canvas and the referee had seen enough.

This was 35-year-old Prenga's second loss in his career.

It was Joshua's first test against a recognised professional opponent since Daniel Dubois stopped him in September 2024.

His only fight since had come against YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in December, 10 days before the fatal crash that left him injured.

Joshua passed the Prenga test, but not in the manner anyone expected. It was not the destructive, free-flowing champion who once swept opponents aside.

'Tonight wasn't about Tyson Fury'

Anthony Joshua on the ropes celebrating his win over Kristan Prenga Image source,Getty Images

After defeating 46-year-old Wach in Pattaya, the question of whether Fury would show up to watch Joshua became a subplot of fight night.

A Fury lookalike briefly fooled reporters when he stepped out of a taxi, while Fury's manager Spencer Brown insisted the 'Gypsy King' would be "there in spirit".

The fight between two of the most recognisable names in British boxing is understood to have been agreed for November.

Neither man is at the peak of his powers, but while the commercial appeal remains strong, Joshua's struggles are likely to leave Fury a clear favourite.

The bout is expected to stream on Netflix. British fans are hoping for a homecoming event, but it is understood Saudi organisers and broadcasters favour a venue in the United States to cater for American audiences.

"We've signed the contract. Everything is done," Hearn said.

"But tonight wasn't about Tyson Fury. It was about the strength Anthony Joshua has shown just to be here.

"No-one knows what he's been through over the last seven months. When he went down in the first round, I thought he'd come back too soon." (BBC)

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