Tearful Anthony Joshua struggles to speak as Tyson | Boxing News

Anthony Joshua has mirrored on a turbulent couple of years after surviving a big scare to knock out Kristian Prenga in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The victory has paved the way in which for a titanic showdown against fellow British boxer Tyson Fury – who opted not to attend Saturday’s bout in order to spend time with his household.

The all-British contest appeared to be under risk after Joshua was struck with a highly effective physique shot in the first spherical against Prenga, adopted by a knockdown. The 36-year-old pulled through, however, as Prenga failed to make the most of his alternative in the second spherical.

After the bell spared Joshua from a catastrophic defeat, he regrouped in the next spherical to catch Prenga with a sharp jab and proper cross mixture. He then adopted up with a devastating flurry of blows, leaving the Albanian half draped over the ropes to seal the victory.

The win carried specific emotional weight for Joshua, who was concerned in a tragic car accident just months in the past in Nigeria, which claimed the lives of Ayodele and Ghami. Joshua’s late buddies had been also valued members of his close-knit training staff.

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The former heavyweight champion narrowly escaped death when the vehicle he was travelling in with three others collided with a lorry on a Nigerian motorway back in December. Joshua has now taken stock of an extremely difficult period following his latest contest.

He said: “I want to give a massive thank you to Kristian Prenga and his team for putting up a good fight. It means a lot to them and to me and that’s why you see what you see in the ring.

“I also give thanks to God. It was more than me which picked me up, it could possibly’t just be me in those conditions, so there may be a greater calling.

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

“Maybe with a bit more expertise he’ll be up there with the remaining of us. But he is a severe fighter, he is strong, sturdy and he got here and gave me a good check.

“But that’s what champions do. We rise. We get knocked down, we rise up and we keep going. That’s life. That’s life.”

When questioned about the accident, a visibly emotional Joshua had to collect himself before responding: “It’s been tough… They are my brothers, I don’t want to talk about it.”

Many had anticipated Fury would attend Saturday’s battle following his stoppage victory over Mariusz Wach in a low-key bout in Thailand on Friday, which stored a potential conflict with Joshua alive. However, the 37-year-old was conspicuous by his absence.

Fury’s supervisor, Spencer Brown, explained to BBC Radio 5 Live before the battle why Fury wasn’t current. He said: “I’ve told everybody, he is not coming into the building. He’s gone home to see his wife, and his children. I’ve been telling everybody that for two days.

“If he comes to it now, it might be an apparition. That’s all I’m going to say, it might be a hologram. It wouldn’t be him. I’ve just spoke to him, he is practically home, just flown home from Thailand, he is wanting ahead to seeing his kids.”

Contracts for the Joshua versus Fury conflict have reportedly been signed, though the placement and date for the long-awaited showdown stay undisclosed, with discussions between potential venues such as Wembley and websites in the US still ongoing.