Anthony Joshua lived up to the billing of the card that unfolded at the Jeddah Superdome in Riyadh tonight. Billed as “The Comeback,” the event promoted by Matchroom Boxing and Queensberry Promotions featured a stunning reversal of fortune in the bout AJ headlined alongside Kristian Prenga.

The Albanian shocked everyone by knocking down the former unified heavyweight champion twenty seconds into the opening round—then seconds later, another knockdown followed. However, the 36-year-old held on and saw the round to the end. Entering the second stanza, however, Anthony Joshua answered back by dropping Prenga with a sharp flurry. A massive right hand from AJ, and the fight was over at 2:34 of the second round. While the thunderous knockout win elicited wild reactions in the arena, the English heavyweight’s second-round surge generated considerable buzz on social media as well, with many celebrities commenting alongside fans.

Coming off a knockout victory over Jake Paul last December, Joshua faced a major personal setback when he lost two of his close friends and team members in a tragic car accident. Shaken by the grief, there were concerns over Joshua’s future.

That made the early knockdown even more significant, as it came during his first fight since the tragedy.

With talks around the showdown against Tyson Fury gaining momentum, AJ eventually made a return, with Pulev widely considered a warm-up for the former heavyweight champion. With a slight size advantage, Joshua entered the fight as the favorite.

Yet, defying expectations, the Albanian, whose record now reads 20-2, caught everyone off guard when his uppercut connected with Joshua and dropped him to the canvas. Though he stood up and smiled, beating the referee’s count, AJ looked visibly embarrassed by the shocking turn of events.

But he soon regrouped. Prenga’s inexperience against tier-1-level opponents may have helped Joshua, as he failed to capitalize on the knockdown and promptly moved into a shell, handing the momentum to the former world champion.

With twenty-four seconds remaining in the second round, Joshua mounted the final attack. Forcing Prenga into a corner, he launched a one-two combination that immediately dropped the Albanian onto the ropes. He could never beat the count.

Speaking with Ade Oladipo during the in-ring post-fight interview, AJ didn’t waste any time and called out Tyson Fury.

While the expected move reassured some who had been looking forward to the Fury showdown, the fact that Joshua recovered from being knocked down and then scored a decisive knockout of his own became the talk of social media.

Anthony Joshua turns the tables with stunning Prenga Ko

Rosie Perez wrote, “OMG!!! @anthonyjoshua JUST DROPPED HIM! IT’S OVER! TKO! What a crazy unexpected fight! 2 rounds of drama! ” The boxing follower, who officially commented on the 2024 Jake Paul-Mike Tyson fight, likely didn’t expect Joshua to bounce back so quickly. After Prenga dropped him with the upper cut, Joshua looked shaken.

Given the layoff and what he had been through, many expected Joshua to be on shaky ground despite being the favorite against the Albanian. That may explain why Joshua’s knockout victory left everyone surprised, especially on a card that had already drawn widespread criticism for its slow pace.

She wasn’t the only one taken aback by Joshua’s turnaround. “Can’t believe what I’ve just watched,” another user added. 

One fan joked, “Knocked fake Nikola Jokic out of the ring 🫡 #JoshuaPrenga. Let’s get that Joshua-Fury fight finally 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾.” The comparison with the Denver Nuggets center gained traction even before the fight, when Prenga and AJ appeared for the press conference.  Jokic is a Serb and Prenga is an Albanian, with both coming from the Balkans. Despite the regional connection, there is a visible size difference between the two. At 2.11 meters, Jokic stands 15 centimeters taller than Prenga, who is 196 centimeters.

Boxing show host Rob Tebbutt offered his assessment, saying, “After scoring two opening-round knockdowns, Kristian Prenga completely froze in the second round. He did absolutely nothing, gave up ground, and got knocked out. Bizarre.” For context, in the later half of the first round, Prenga did drop AJ. However, the referee ruled it a push, as Joshua’s fall appeared to result from Prenga pushing while they were in a clinch.

Still, another fan seemed happy with Joshua’s favorable outcome. They said, “Well… about as dramatic a 2-round fight as you’ll see. Brutal finish from Joshua. Not sure what to make of that first round, but great recovery, good to see.”

The sentiment captured the fight well. The AJ-Prenga came just a day after Tyson Fury’s knockout victory over Mariusz Wach. With Joshua and Fury set to fight, tentatively scheduled for November, a loss could have jeopardized the matchup.

Still, there is a lesson Joshua needs to learn for this fight. Fury is a fighter with an entirely different skill set. While Prenga hesitated and lost momentum, Fury may not make the same mistake and could make Joshua pay for it.