Anthony Joshua just about remained on course for a huge heavyweight meeting with Tyson Fury, as he survived two opening round knockdowns to take out Kristian Prenga in two rounds in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Saturday.
Joshua (30-4, 27 KOs) was last in action last December, beating up Jake Paul in a crossover fight before taking a sixth-round knockout win, while Prenga (20-2, 20 KOs) came into this one winning all of his previous bouts bar one inside the distance.
Joshua was stunned inside 20 seconds, as a right uppercut from Prenga floored him in a sensational opener.
If that wasn’t shocking enough, he touched down for a second time towards the end of the opening round, as a counter punch had him all at sea, his punch resistance non-existent.
‘AJ’ improved in the second, managing the distance better and picking his punches well, a massive right hand followed by a succession of punches poleaxing Prenga, and the Albanian was unable to beat the count in a wild conclusion.
The 36-year-old turned his attentions to a long overdue meeting with Fury, who kept his side of the bargain by halting Mariusz Wach in seven rounds in Thailand on Friday.
The pair have both signed to fight each other, but a date and location remains unknown.
“Have we got Tyson Fury in the room?” he said post-fight.
“Is he here?
“I’ll rip his heart out.
“I respect everything he’s done and everything he’s achieved.”
Sheeraz overcomes Zachenhuber
In world title action on the undercard, Hamzah Sheeraz defended his WBO super middleweight title for the first time, but laboured in a majority decision win against Simon Zachenhuber (29-2, 18 KOs).
Sheeraz (24-0-1, 19 KOs) struggled to impose himself, and one judge ruled their meeting a 114-114 draw, while the remaining judges tallied 116-112 and 115-113 to ensure that Sheeraz kept his belt.
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Kelly sees off Agyarko
Josh Kelly retained his IBF super welterweight title for the first time, as he took a close points win against the previously unbeaten Caoimhin Agyarko.
Kelly (19-1-1, 9 KOs) got off to a dominant start, but Agyarko (18-1, 7 KOs) warmed into the contest, only to be denied on the scorecards.
Kelly, who sported a horrific cut on his nose, took victory by two scores of 115-112 and a third at 114-113 and set up a potential unification with WBA and WBO champion, Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis.
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Remaining Undercard
Reito Tsutsumi (5-0, 4 KOs) could well be a future star, and the Japanese super featherweight took a second-round win against Alvino Herrera Meza (18-1-2, 11 KOs) in his first scheduled ten-rounder.
In eight-rounders, Mikie Tallon (15-0, 4 KOs) took a rare stoppage win, a body shot wiping out Orlando Pino (17-4, 11 KOs) at super flyweight.
Ziyad Almaayouf (8-1-1, 1 KOs) had to get off the canvas, but took a points win against Frank Lucian Mango (8-2, 5 KOs) at welterweight.
Mikie Tallon with a beautiful body shot KO 😤💥
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Super welterweight talent Nishant Dev (7-0, 5 KOs) was a first-round winner against Cesar Diaz (10-3, 5 KOs).
Oleksandr Khyzhniak (2-0, 2 KOs) won in two rounds against Lenny Patrach (8-1-1, 5 KOs).
Danish super middleweight Jacob Bank (20-0, 11 KOs) took a clear points win against Pawel August (18-1, 7 KOs).
In six-round action Mohammed Alakel (9-0, 3 KOs) remained unbeaten, as he decked Lydon Chircop (8-5, 4 KOs) three times on the way to a fifth-round stoppage win at lightweight, while Sultan Almohammed (5-0, 4 KOs) halted Efren Besalduch (3-4-1, 1 KO) in round three of their super featherweight meeting.
Omar Hikal (2-0, 1 KO) took a points win against Brian Castellano (2-2) at middleweight, and at super lightweight, Mohamed Mabrouk Yehya (2-0) did the same against Bryan Zapata (5-10-1, 4 KOs).
