Prenga warns of Joshua’s punching power

Kristian Prenga, the Albanian heavyweight boxer, has admitted that Anthony Joshua's punching power overwhelmed him during their recent bout in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Prenga suffered his first career knockdown after landing two right uppercuts on Joshua in the opening round. Despite the knockdowns, Joshua managed to recover and stopped Prenga in the second round.

Prenga praised Joshua's power, admitting it was the first time he had ever been knocked down in a professional fight. The 35-year-old Albanian, who entered the match with a 20-1 record, had earlier given Joshua a scare with the uppercut but failed to capitalize on the opportunity. Prenga's most significant victory before the Joshua fight was against Joey Dawejko in 2024, where he won by stoppage after Dawejko withdrew due to a shoulder injury.

Joshua, on the other hand, dedicated his victory to his late teammates Sina Ghami and Latif "Latz" Ayodele, who were killed in a car crash in Nigeria in December. The fight marked a significant step up in competition and attention for Prenga.