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.

Anthony Joshua survived a huge scare on a night of carnage on his boxing comeback, rising from the canvas twice before knocking out unknown Albanian Kristian Prenga to pave the way for a Tyson Fury showdown.

Joshua was shockingly sent crashing to the canvas by a thunderous right uppercut within the first 20 seconds in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, as Prenga threatened to ruin the prospect of a long-awaited heavyweight showdown with Fury later this year.

The former two-time world heavyweight champion also took a knee later in the first round in his first fight since being involved in a car crash in Nigeria that killed two of his close friends, Sina Ghami and Latif ‘Latz’ Ayodele, in December, just days after his win over YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul.

However, Joshua showed all his heart to dig deep and hit back in the second round with a barrage of heavy blows that sent Prenga tumbling through the ropes and the Albanian’s inability to beat the count ensured a 27th knockout victory of the Brit’s career.

Fury’s seventh-round TKO win over 46-year-old Mariusz Wach around 4,000 miles away in Thailand on Friday in an untelevised laid down the gauntlet for Joshua, who paid tribute to Ghami and Ayodele, wearing camouflage gear with the names of his friends on his chest.

An emotional Joshua said in the ring afterwards: “It’s what champions do. We rise, we get knocked down and we stand up and we keep going, that’s life’s motto.

“It’s more than punch power, that was spirit, that was Latz, that was Sina, that was the families. It hurts even talking about it. It’s been tough. They’re my brothers, but I don’t want to talk about it.”

He was then forced to take a pause from the post-fight interview due to being overcome with emotion and allowed promoter Eddie Hearn to come to the microphone.

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Asked about the Fury fight later this year, Hearn said: “We’ve signed the contract, everything’s done, but to be ‌honest with you, tonight is all about the strength ​that he showed to even be here tonight, and ‌the strength that he had ⁠to show in that fight.”

“When you go down a couple of times in the first round and ‌you’re looking like your ​career might be over, he ‌had to go to the ​depths one more time to get up and fight on.”

Joshua came out all guns blazing to finish off Prenga in the second round, handing the underdog a first loss of his career, but was full of praise for his Albanian foe.

“I also want to give a massive thank you to Kristian Prenga and his team for putting on a good fight. It means a lot to them, and it means a lot to me,” added Joshua.

“I think Eddie Hearn wants to sign him now. He’s going to do well, he’s got a bright future. I’m a serious fighter, I know what I’m doing. I know my way around the ring.

“Maybe with a little bit more experience he will be up there with the rest of us. But he’s a serious fighter, strong, durable, and he come and gave me a good test.”

Joshua also had a bit of fun at Fury’s expense, initially asking if he was in the room for a face-to-face confrontation and then jokingly quoting Mike Tyson’s famous “Imma rip his heart out speech” before his fight with Lennox Lewis.

However, the 36-year-old then became more sincere when talking about his respect for “the Gypsy King”.

“Wait a minute – have we got Tyson Fury in the room?” asked Joshua. “Wait, wait, wait, to more important matters – is he here or not? [When told Fury wasn’t present]. Fair do’s. Imma rip his heart out. I’m the meanest and most vicious champion there’s ever been.

“Listen, all jokes aside, there’s two sides of this thing. One is fire. You have to have that vim, that grrr. But also respect. I respect everything he has done. And everything that he has achieved. As someone who who has been calling for the fight for a long time, we’re here now.

“Shout to Eddie Hearn for making these opportunities possible, and I hope the fans will be in for a lovely treat.”

The long-awaited ‘Battle of Britain’ will finally happen later this year [it seems] although the chaos of the evening in Jeddah almost consigned that fight to the bin before a great escape.

Additional reporting by PA

Anthony Joshua paid tribute to his late friends Sina Ghami and Latif ‘Latz’ Ayodele after rising from the canvas twice to beat Kristian Prenga and stay on course for a Tyson Fury showdown.

The British heavyweight was fighting for the first time since being involved in a car crash in Nigeria that killed Ghami, his strength and conditioning coach, and Ayodele, his personal trainer, in December.

Having worn a camouflage top and trunks to the ring with the names of the pair across his chest, Joshua dedicated a fraught second-round knockout win in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to Ghami and Ayodele.

“It’s what champions do,” the 36-year-old said in the ring afterwards. “We rise, we get knocked down and we stand up and we keep going, that’s life, that’s life’s motto.

“It’s more than punch power, that was spirit, that was Latz, that was Sina, that was the families. It hurts even talking about it. It’s been tough. It’s my brothers but I don’t want to talk about it.”

Joshua was a prohibitive 1/33 favourite with bookmakers immediately before the fight against the Albanian, whose 20 wins from 21 contests had all been via knockout although against limited opposition.

However, Joshua was sent tumbling to the canvas within the first 20 seconds of the bout and again later on in the first round, leaving not just the Fury fight but his entire boxing career in the balance.

But Joshua hit back in a chaotic fight as Prenga failed to capitalise on his explosive fight, allowing his more experienced opponent to close the show in devastating fashion.

Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn said: “No one can imagine what he’s been through in these last seven months. In fact, during that first round I was thinking ‘we came back too soon’.

“I said in the build-up to this fight that boxing once saved him and he needed boxing to help him get through this and his camp allowed him to focus his mind while he was facing so much grief and pain.

“You don’t know what he was going through in that camp because he’s a strong man and he likes to deal with his problems on his own. I’m not saying that’s the right way to do it but that’s his way to do it.

“To even be in the ring was astonishing and when you go down a couple of times in the first round, and you’re looking like your career might be over, he had to go to the depths to get up and fight on.”

Hearn confirmed contracts for a long-awaited and much-hyped all-British blockbuster between Joshua and Fury have been signed although a date and location are still unknown.

Fury had a more serene warm-up on Friday in Thailand, stopping 46-year-old Mariusz Wach after seven rounds, but declined the opportunity to watch Joshua from ringside in order to fly home to the Isle of Man.

Joshua added: “Wait a minute, have we got Tyson Fury in the room? To more important matters, is he here or not?

“All jokes aside, there are two sides to this thing. One is the fighter, you have to have that vim, and the other is respect.

“I respect everything he has done and everything that he has achieved, but as a fighting person and someone who has been calling for this fight for a long time, we’re here now.

“I hope the fans will be in for a lovely treat.

“Do you know what I learned? I can’t be stopped, I’m not going to be stopped, I’m not going to be denied. We’re coming, trust me.”

Manchester United have started their summer recruitment early but there is still work to do ahead of Michael Carrick’s first full season in charge

After dropping more than £80m on a pair of new midfielders, Manchester United have given themselves a platform ahead of what could be a pivotal season. However, they are unlikely to be done just yet.

Pre-season friendlies have shown Michael Carrick what he can expect from some of his players. Others will return a little later after their World Cup exertions.

The new Premier League season is less than a month away. First up for Carrick’s side is a trip to newly promoted Hull City, who have made signings of their own including former United keeper Jack Butland.

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Before then, United are expected to make some more signings but may also cash in on a few of their stars. Here, we’ve taken a look at how things might pan out.

Final piece of midfield puzzle

United have been putting together a list of midfielders who could fill that final slot, joining Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans as a new recruit in the position. Much will depend on whether the price is right, though, and they won’t be held to ransom.

Aurelien Tchouameni would be the dream signing but it depends on Real Madrid’s openness to a sale. Things have quietened down since exploratory checks early in the window but it could be one to keep an eye on.

Manu Kone and Alex Scott are among the other names being considered. Scott will have a high asking price, though, with Bournemouth still reluctant to sell if they don’t have to.

Rashford decision reached

The big question concerns what is in store for Marcus Rashford. The England international is still a United player after Barcelona let a buy option expire but he could still move.

A number of wide forwards have been linked already. Crysencio Summerville now looks set to move overseas, though, while there’s not been a ton of concrete noise of late when it comes to other targets.

This is largely down to the Rashford situation. If the 28-year-old ends up staying put, there’s almost certain to be no new senior addition in his position.

£50m raised for reinforcements

While there are question marks over what comes next for Rashford, we’ve got a better idea of some other potential exits. Among them is Joshua Zirkzee, who could fetch a decent sum if a suitable buyer steps up – though perhaps not quite as much as the £35m United paid Bologna.

Two of United’s backup goalkeepers also look set to leave. Altay Bayindir is expected to return to Turkey while Radek Vitek has already expressed a desire for regular first-team football and that means playing away from Old Trafford.

There are some others, including Toby Collyer, where a decision has not yet been made. However, a series of sales could potentially raise as much as £50million even without a departure for Rashford.

Those funds could allow Carrick to add another striker to the squad. This would ideally be someone comfortable not being a starter, with Benjamin Sesko continuing to lead the line this term.

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WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert dedicated the first serious portion of her news conference at the league’s All-Star game to addressing “harassment” against players. 

She said the league will be implementing “next steps” to address “every aspect” of player experience on the court, off the court and online.”

“The racism, the misogyny, the homophobia, the harassment and threats directed to our players has no place in sport or anywhere else,” Engelbert said, adding the issues have intensified in recent weeks but have also been present since “the moment I walked in the door.

“There’s more work to do, and we need to make sure we’re doing it.”

CAITLIN CLARK MAKES WNBA HISTORY WITH RECORD-BREAKING GAME AFTER WEEKS OF CONTROVERSY

WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert speaks before the WNBA basketball draft in New York April 13, 2026. (Pamela Smith/AP)

Many WNBA fans have raised concern over suspected racially-charged attacks on phenom Caitlin Clark in recent weeks after she was punched in the throat by Phoenix Mercury star Alyssa Thomas during a game June 24.

Other fans have expressed concern over racially-charged comments and threats online directed at Thomas and other players, including Aces player Chelsea Gray, who was targeted by alleged racial insult in an Instagram DM earlier this month.

Critics have suggested Engelbert be fired for her handling of the league’s controversies this season and in recent years. Engelbert was asked if she expects to be commissioner at the start of the 2027 season. She did not give a yes or a no answer.

REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS PRESS WNBA COMMISSIONER CATHY ENGELBERT TO PROTECT CAITLIN CLARK

WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert speaks during a news conference before the WNBA All-Star basketball game July 19, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

“I’m so blessed to be at the helm of this league during this incredible hyper-growth period. … I will just continue to just do my job, execute the strategy because it has been working,” she said.

When asked a question about how the league will address player security, Engelbert launched into a rant about “keyboard warriors.”

“Someone gave me this term, ‘keyboard warriors.’ They’re very, very adamant to get their messages through to our players, whether it’s through DMs, whether it’s through other means. So, again, we’re gonna try to attack it, and we’re gonna communicate a lot more with the players on that,” she said.

Engelbert addressed a question of whether the WNBA will make investigations, fines and suspensions more transparent, but she did not give a clear answer on that either, while frequently repeating the line, “We have processes.”

Engelbert was not asked any questions about a recent USA Today column that criticized Clark for her handling of hard contact and questionable referee decisions while invoking the murder of Emmett Till.

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She was also not asked any other questions specifically about Clark, Thomas’ punch to Clark’s throat or a recent letter sent to the league by 11 GOP lawmakers pressing for greater accountability regarding the physical treatment against Clark.

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Cathy Engelbert, WNBA commissioner, tees off on the 18th hole during the first round of the American Century Championship 2026 at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course July 10, 2026, in Stateline, Nev. (Al Chang/ISI Photos)

The commissioner was also not asked about allegedly canceling an interview on “The Dan Patrick Show” in early July.

Engelbert announced that the WNBA will implement a full replay center beginning in 2027 during her press conference.

Jake Paul was the last man to fight Anthony Joshua and he has now revealed his verdict on AJ’s chaotic victory over Kristian Prenga.

Joshua went up against Prenga in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Saturday, in a clash that was expected to be a comfortable win for the former world heavyweight champion in order to set up the long overdue battle against Tyson Fury.

Any hopes of seeing that clash were nearly ended after AJ was dropped twice in the opening round of the bout, though he was able to recover and claim the second round knockout to come out on top and prevent a stunning shock upset from taking place.

Saturday’s outing saw Joshua back in the ring for the first time since his sixth round triumph over YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul back in December, and now ‘The Problem Child’ himself has shared his reaction to his former rival’s victory over Prenga.

Posting on social media, Paul praised AJ for earning the win, after returning to action following the tragic car crash he was involved in at the end of last year which took the lives of his two close friends.

“Happy for Joshua with that win after all he’s been through. Remembering Sina and Latz with this one.”

Happy for Joshua with that win after all he’s been through.

Remembering Sina and Latz with this one.

— Jake Paul (@jakepaul) July 25, 2026

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The win for Joshua should now tee up for meeting with Fury later this year, after ‘The Gypsy King’ held up his end of the bargain by also securing a win in his warm-up bout on Friday, securing a seventh round retirement win against Mariusz Wach.