British boxer Anthony Joshua resolved an adverse scenario on international territory by defeating Albanian Kristian Prenga via technical knockout in the second episode.

The main event of the card held at the Superdome in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, was decided at 2:43 minutes of the second round, allowing the former heavyweight monarch to keep the route open to agree on the confrontation against his compatriot Tyson Fury at the end of this year.

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A first round marked by two falls

The initial development of the fight presented immediate complications for the English fighter's corner.

When the first thirty seconds of the opening episode had barely passed, Anthony Joshua received an upward blow that sent him to the canvas unexpectedly. Despite standing up after the initial protection count, the former champion's physical instability was taken advantage of by Prenga, who maintained a constant offensive on the ropes to reduce his opponent's resistance.

The pressure exerted by the Albanian challenger led to a new imbalance on the canvas, forcing the combat official to apply the second regulation count in favor of the visiting corner.

However, Anthony Joshua managed to remain firm on the mat during the final seconds of the first round, closing the actions with a direct exchange of blows before hearing the sound of the break bell.

Fast-track distance adjustment and definition

The British corner's strategy changed drastically at the beginning of the second round to prevent the rival from consolidating its offensive advantage. During the first passages of the period, Anthony Joshua used the left jab to mark the distance on the ring, neutralizing his opponent's attack attempts and taking the pace of the actions towards the rope area.

The definition of the fight occurred in the final stretch of the second episode through a sequence of precise combinations to the face of the Albanian fighter. After connecting a continuous left jab followed by a straight right, Anthony Joshua cornered Prenga against the string to unleash a flurry of three impacts to the head, causing the rival's body to remain partially outside the ring while the referee declared the end of the fight.

Statements in the ring and the outlook against Tyson Fury

After the official result was confirmed in the center of the ring, the English boxer analyzed the difficulties of the first round and set his position on the future of his sporting career. “I overcame the initial danger, adjusted the distance with the jab and executed the combination at the right time to close the fight,” Anthony Joshua told the DAZN network during the post-fight interview on the canvas in Saudi Arabia, adding regarding the expected heavyweight clash: “I fulfilled today's commitment and the path is clear to close the details of the fight against Tyson Fury.”

This victory represents the first victory for Anthony Joshua after overcoming his commitment against Jake Paul and completing his physical recovery process after the car accident suffered at the end of last year. With Fury's positive result over Mariusz Wach a day earlier in Thailand, the promotional companies will begin the final steps to make the unification fight official in the United Kingdom during the fourth quarter of the calendar.