Anthony Joshua survived two first-round knockdowns to stop underdog Kristian Prenga in the second round of his comeback fight in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in one of the most dramatic bouts of his career. It marked his first fight since surviving a car crash in Nigeria in December that killed his close friends Sina Ghami and Latif "Latz" Ayodele, and the emotional victory now paves the way for a long-awaited showdown with fellow Briton Tyson Fury, for which contracts have already been signed.

Joshua, 36, was floored just 20 seconds into the fight by a right uppercut from Albanian fighter Prenga, who arrived unbeaten with 20 knockouts from 20 wins, and was knocked down again later in the round, putting his career in serious jeopardy. He recovered in the second round, landing a decisive right hand that sent Prenga crashing to the canvas and prompted the referee to stop the contest, extending Joshua's record to 30 wins and four defeats. Fury, who had won his own warm-up bout in Thailand a day earlier, did not attend as speculated, though a venue and date for the eventual title fight are yet to be confirmed.