Anthony Joshua fights back tears as he dedicates dramatic victory over Kristian Prenga to two best friends killed in car crash as he recovers from TWO knockdowns to win on return

Anthony Joshua knows better than anyone how quickly heavyweight boxing can ruin the scenario. For a moment in Jeddah on Saturday night it looked as if another shock was about to happen as the British heavyweight was dropped twice and wrestled to the canvas in a chaotic opening round.

But Joshua dug deep, weathered the storm and, after finding another gear in the latter, produced a devastating combination that demolished Albanian heavyweight Kristian Prenga, leaving the 35-year-old on his back and bringing a dramatic end to a fight that threatened to derail his comeback before it even began.

But once AJ’s hand was raised, the victory itself almost took a backseat.

For the first time since returning to the ring, the pain he had tried so hard to suppress finally emerged.

The former two-time heavyweight world champion has appeared publicly, perhaps for the first time, to finally allow the emotions he has buried since the tragic deaths of Latif ‘Latz’ Ayodele and Sina Ghami in a car crash in Nigeria last December to come to the surface.

Joshua admitted he spent months before the fight trying to bottle up the pain of losing two men – strength trainer Latz and personal trainer Sina – and insisted he didn’t want them to die while their families mourned.

But after completing the toughest comeback of his career, both physically and mentally, the emotion could no longer be contained. While Joshua praised his friends for getting him through the first round in his post-fight interview, he quietly said: ‘I don’t want to talk about it anymore.’

The victory itself almost took a backseat when AJ’s hand was raised.

Joshua was overcome with emotion after the fight and went from euphoric to emotional low within minutes.

After the accident, Joshua lived with constant pain for months. Even getting out of bed became a struggle. He spent two months pedaling slowly on a stationary bike before learning how to balance on a stability ball while rebuilding his body from scratch.

However, the mental cost must be just as difficult, perhaps greater.

However, Joshua and Eddie Hearn were not fond of calling it a ‘comeback fight’. Seven months away from the ring is not uncommon for a heavyweight. He never really moved away from boxing.

But, in every way, it was a comeback that was important.

Because returning to the ring after losing the two people closest to him was perhaps the biggest challenge Joshua faced.

There were moments when returning to the ring wasn’t important, or even possible. But eventually boxing became part of the healing process.

And so, under the bright lights of the Jeddah Superdome, with Latz and Sina embodied on the canvas, Joshua returned to the fight with much more than the pressure of victory on his shoulders.

Prenga was never supposed to be the final destination. The Albanian was always seen as the bridge to something much greater.

From the moment the fight was announced, it became clear that the real prize would be Fury later this year.

This was the adjustment. It’s an opportunity for Joshua to shake off the rust, regain momentum, and remind the heavyweight franchise exactly who he is.

This does not mean that there is no danger. There’s always something going on in the heavyweight division, and Joshua was reminded of that the hard way.

Prenga entered the contest with 20 of his 20 wins by knockout and only a single loss. The power was real. One punch can change everything in heavyweight boxing, and for a moment it looked like it might.

The Albanian dominated a chaotic opening round, dropping Joshua twice and threatening to tear up the script.

Joshua was knocked down twice in the first round

However, Joshua recovered in the second round and knocked out Kristian Prenga.

Joshua is expected to finally fight Tyson Fury after both heavyweights won their fights this weekend.

But there are levels in elite boxing. Prenga had never shared a ring with anyone approaching Joshua’s background or experience, and when the former two-time world champion returned to his corner and received a harsh tone from his coaching staff, he emerged with renewed determination.

Still showing signs of the defensive frailties that have dogged him throughout his career, Joshua nevertheless displayed the resilience that marked his comeback. He effectively turned the tide by landing a devastating combination to stop Prenga at 2:43 of the second round.

When Joshua’s hand was raised, the emotion he was trying so hard to suppress could no longer be contained.

He had warned her beforehand that she was hiding too much inside. He didn’t want to focus himself on a story about grieving families. He wanted to honor his friends specifically.

Instead, he pledged lifelong financial support to both families and vowed that they would continue to pursue the dreams they all shared together.

But as victory became certain in Jeddah, it was impossible not to think about all he had endured to get there.

This was never just another win.

But one person was missing: Tyson Fury.

Just 24 hours earlier Fury had fought Mariusz Wach in Thailand, going seven rounds before the veteran Pole retired on his stool in a non-televised contest.

Fury had been insisting all week that he would not travel to Saudi Arabia for Joshua’s fight, and despite widespread expectations that he would make a late appearance, the former world champion stayed away.

His absence did little to dampen the belief that British boxing’s biggest fight was approaching, but he did not give fans the image they had been waiting to see for years.

After many failed negotiations, collapsed deals and false starts, fans were hoping Joshua and Fury would face each other in the ring for the first time and that both men would come out victorious.

But experience has taught Joshua not to take anything for granted in heavyweight boxing.

His long-awaited showdown with Deontay Wilder appeared all but over before Wilder suffered a shocking defeat to Joseph Parker on the night Joshua won in December 2023, throwing months of planning away.

The heavyweight has a habit of missing the fights everyone wants to see.

Joshua wore a jacket with a medal bar bearing the ‘Sinai’ and ‘Latz’ pennants

Joshua honors friends Latz and Sina, who died in a car crash in December

Therefore, we will continue to exercise some caution until the fight between AJ and Fury is officially confirmed.

Joshua and Eddie Hearn have already revealed that the contract stipulates that any bout with Fury takes place in the UK because, in their eyes, the biggest fight in British boxing history will take place on British soil.

However, in the current situation, it seems that Turki Alalshikh and Netflix prefer Madison Square Garden in New York.

This means contracts need to be renegotiated.

The expectation is that discussions between all parties will take place in the coming days to clarify the remaining details.

For now, Joshua’s focus is not on the next step, but on what he has already overcome.

The tears in Jeddah were not for Tyson Fury.

They were for Latz and Sinai.