Albanian heavyweight boxer, Kristian Prenga, has acknowledged the devastating punching power of British-Nigerian boxer Anthony Joshua after suffering the first knockdown of his professional career during their bout in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Prenga entered the contest with a 20-1 record but was stopped by Joshua in the second round after an explosive opening to the fight.
The 35-year-old stunned Joshua twice in the first round with a right uppercut, sending the former world heavyweight champion to the canvas on both occasions.
However, Joshua recovered quickly and responded by ending the contest in the following round.
Speaking to boxing journalist Tris Dixon after the fight, Prenga said Joshua’s power was the difference, noting that he had never previously been knocked down, including during sparring.
“Of course, it’s power because it’s the first time I got knocked down in my career, in my life. I’ve never been knocked down in sparring. It’s the first time. I think he has the power,” he said.
Prenga’s defeat came after what had been a strong record, with his most notable victory before facing Joshua coming against Joey Dawejko in 2024.
He won that bout by stoppage after Dawejko withdrew because of a shoulder injury.
The clash with Joshua represented a major step up in opposition for the Albanian, who nevertheless provided an early scare by dropping the British-Nigerian twice.
Joshua, meanwhile, dedicated his victory to the memory of two close friends and members of his team, Sina Ghami and Latif “Latz” Ayodele, who died in a car crash in Nigeria in December.
Reflecting on the emotional significance of the victory after the fight, Joshua said,
“It is 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. They are my brothers,” Joshua said in the ring after the fight.
