Kristian Prenga did not need long to feel Anthony Joshua’s power last month in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. In the opening 20 seconds of their heavyweight fight, Prenga floored Joshua with a right uppercut, but Joshua responded with a second opening-round knockdown before halting Prenga within the following three minutes.
After the fight, Prenga spoke with boxing journalist Tris Dixon and gave Joshua full credit for the finish. “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,” Prenga said.
What Prenga's reaction says about the fight
Prenga entered the bout with a padded 20-1 record and was not widely viewed as a serious threat, but the fight still gave him a notable moment early when he scored on Joshua. Even so, Joshua’s response underlined why he remains one of the division’s biggest punchers, especially with a planned clash against Tyson Fury expected later this year.
That context also makes Prenga’s post-fight assessment significant. He was not only reflecting on a knockout loss, but on the first knockdown of his career. For a 35-year-old heavyweight whose most notable 2024 victory came against Joey Dawejko, after Dawejko pulled out with a shoulder injury and Prenga won by stoppage, the Joshua fight was a clear step up in attention and competition.
It also reinforced the basic lesson from a short-notice style heavyweight matchup: even when a fighter lands first, Anthony Joshua can change the shape of a bout quickly. Prenga’s early success was real, but so was Joshua’s finishing power.
For more on Joshua’s return plans in Saudi Arabia, see Joshua embraces comeback in Jeddah ahead of Anthony Joshua Vs Kristian Prenga Match. And for another view of the matchup, Brandon Moore backs Kristian Prenga to beat Anthony Joshua in Saudi Arabia — Anthony Joshua Next Fight offered a different pre-fight perspective.
