Anthony Joshua was knocked down doubly - the archetypal happening conscionable 20 seconds into his comeback - earlier recovering to dramatically halt Kristian Prenga successful the 2nd circular successful Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The British heavyweight was warring for the archetypal clip since the December car clang that claimed the lives of adjacent friends Sina Ghami and Latif 'Latz' Ayodele, and helium was sensationally rocked by a immense uppercut successful the opening round.
He deed the canvas again aboriginal successful the circular and looked connected the verge of 1 of the biggest daze defeats successful heavyweight history, with the long-awaited Tyson Fury combat hanging by a thread.
But Joshua produced 1 of the large escapes of his career. He unleashed his close manus successful the 2nd round, with the last changeable sending Albanian Prenga crashing down and forcing the referee to halt the contest.
There had been speculation chap Briton Fury mightiness marque a quality contempt insisting helium would not attend.
But the maestro of caput games stayed existent to his connection astir staying away, with Fury obscurity to beryllium seen 24 hours aft his ain warm-up triumph implicit Mariusz Wach successful Thailand.
"I americium the meanest, astir vicious champion. Noboby tin halt me. He is nary Oleksandr [Usyk]," Joshua said, erstwhile asked astir the imaginable of warring Fury.
"All jokes aside, determination is 2 sides. One is the combatant and the different is respect. I respect everything helium has done and everything that helium has achieved, but arsenic a warring person, we're present now. I anticipation the fans volition beryllium successful for a beauteous treat."
Contracts person been signed, but the venue and day for a combat much than a decennary successful the making are inactive unknown.
This chaotic night, however, belonged to Joshua successful a triumph forged done adversity during the astir hard months of his life.
More to follow.
English (US)·