Anthony Joshua vs. Kristian Prenga Results, Highlights: Joshua Struggles Early, Earns Comeback Win in Return Fight

· Yahoo Sports

Anthony Joshua vs. Kristian Prenga Results, Highlights: Joshua Struggles Early, Earns Comeback Win in Return Fight originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Anthony Joshua recovered from one of the worst rounds of his career to knock Kristian Prenga out for the count in his first fight in seven months.

Visit newsbetsport.bond for more information.

A hard shot in round two took Prenga out of the ring, to the delight of the crowd in Saudi Arabia.

There was plenty of pressure for Joshua (30-4) as he made his return to the ring for the first time since December. A date with Tyson Fury was on the line, and there were added eyes to see if he was the same after a car accident that tragically took the lives of friends Sina Ghami and Latif "Latz" Ayodele.

Joshua was focused through fight week, but nobody really knew what he was going through. He looked to have ring rust when he got knocked down twice in the first round. It appeared Prenga (20-2) was going to make history thanks to his reliable knockout power.

However, Joshua was on a mission. He entered round two a man possessed. He landed clean shots as Prenga just took them. Joshua landed one final shot that had Prenga between the ring and the floor. Breathing a sigh of relief, Joshua let go after all those months away from the ring.

"I can't be stopped, I'm not gonna be stopped, I'm not gonna be denied… You saw someone knocked down for a bit, but I got back up, and that’s what life is about. Let’s keep striving, let’s keep pushing, Joshua said.

Joshua is now on a two-fight win streak, earning his tenth knockout win in round two. It’s expected he will face Fury, who beat Mariusz Wach on Friday, at some point in 2026. A date and location are unknown at the moment, though fans believe it only makes sense for the all-Brit fight to take place in the U.K.

“I’m going to rip his heart out,” Joshua said about Fury.

Hamazah Sheeraz fought about two months after his last fight. Perhaps the quick fight camp affected his ability, as the WBO super middleweight champion wasn’t his usual dominant self against Simon Zachenhuber. Still, Sheeraz did enough to beat the spirited challenger to retain his title.

Sheeraz (24-0-1) wasn’t on his front foot and may have injured his hand in the middle of the fight. He landed sharp shots, but didn’t go for the punch that would end it. Zachenhuber (29-2), in his first challenge for gold, impressed even with the loss. Sheeraz, who could take time off after, will keep an eye on the upcoming Christian M'billi-Canelo Alvarez fight.

Josh Kelly had a successful first title defense against a game Caoimhin Agyarko, beating him via unanimous decision for the IBF super welterweight belt. Kelly started the first half with sharp shots, gliding around the ring ever so smoothly.

Agyarko (18-1) kept things interesting following a point deduction in the sixth after Kelly (19-1-1) landed shots behind his head. But Kelly, with a broken nose, landed quick shots to the head and body to keep him ahead on the scorecards. The English fighter hopes to unify the 154-pound division next.

Follow along right here for analysis and highlights from the fight between Joshua and Prenga.

Anthony Joshua vs. Kristian Prenga results

  • Anthony Joshua def. Kristian Prenga via KO (2:43 into round two)
  • Hamzah Sheeraz (c) def. Simon Zachenhuber via majority decision for the WBO super middleweight title (114-114, 115-113, 116-112)
  • Josh Kelly (c) def. Caoimhin Agyarko via unanimous decision for the IBF super welterweight title (114-113, 115-112, 115-112) 
  • Reito Tsutsumi def. Alvino Herrera via TKO (0:28 into round two)
  • Jacob Bank def. Pawel August via unanimous decision (80-72, 80-72, 80-72)
  • Nishant Dev def. Cesar Diaz via TKO (2:56 into round one)
  • Oleksandr Khyzniak def. Lenny Patrach via TKO (1:56 into round two)
  • Ziyad Almaayouf def. Frank Mango via unanimous decision (78-71, 77-72, 77-72)
  • Mikie Tallon def. Orlando Pino via KO (1:31 into round one) 
  • Mohammed Alakel def. Lydon Chircop via KO (2:02 into round five)
  • Sultan Almohammed def. Efren Besalduch via TKO (2:41 into round three)
  • Omar Hikal def. Brian Castellano via unanimous decision (40-35, 40-35, 40-35)
  • Mohamed Moubarak def. Bryan Zapata via unanimous decision (39-37, 40-36, 40-36)

Anthony Joshua vs. Kristian Prenga updates, highlights

Anthony Joshua returns with KO win against Kristian Prenga

Round two: Joshua tried landing combinations to get back into it. Joshua with right hands that pushed Prenga back. Prenga looked hurt. Joshua looked locked in. Joshua with combinations. Down goes Prenga! And he's out! Wow! 

Round one: Round one: Joshua with hard hooks already to start the fight. Down goes Joshua right away after an uppercut! A left hand by Prenga. Another right and Joshua was by the ropes. Prenga punished the body of Joshua. Joshua got counted again. This does not look good. A right from Prenga. One of the worst rounds of Joshua's career. 

NESN unofficial scorecard: 10-7 Prenga

The main event is up next: Anthony Joshua vs. Kristian Prenga. Can Joshua end the fight early, or will Prenga spoil everything and give Joshua another upset loss? 

Hamzah Sheeraz retains super middleweight gold against Simon Zachenhuber

Round twelve: Zachenhuber with body shots. They were light but still looked like they did something. Sheeraz with hard hooks. Combinations from Zachenhuber. Sheeraz with jabs. Sheeraz won via majority decision, with one judge scoring it a draw.

SN unofficial scorecard: 10-9 Sheeraz (117-111 Sheeraz)

Round eleven: Zachenhuber with solid combinations to the head. He continued to be the more active fighter. Sheeraz with a hook. Zachenhuber with body shots. 

SN unofficial scorecard: 10-9 Zachenhuber (107-102 Sheeraz)

Round ten: Sheeraz slowed down a bit. He did push Zachenhuber back. The champion kept it simple while Zachenhuber tried to put some pressure to him. 

SN unofficial scorecard: 10-9 Sheeraz (98-92 Sheeraz)

Round nine: Uppercut from Sheeraz. One of his best shots of the night. Zachenhuber picked his moments well. A counter uppercut connected, pushing Zachenhuber back. 

SN unofficial scorecard: 10-9 Sheeraz (88-83 Sheeraz)

Round eight: Zachenhuber threw more punches, but it didn't matter. He did start landing combinations. Zachenhuber was working hard. He landed several jabs. Sheeraz went to the body. Zachenhuber looked impressive. 

NESN unofficial scorecard: 10-9 Zachenhuber (78-74 Sheeraz)

Round seven: Zachenhuber with combinations to start the round. Sheeraz started landing hooks. He landed a body shot as it appeared he was waiting to land a punch that would end the fight. The commentary team stated he hurt his hand early in the fight. 

NESN unofficial scorecard: 10-9 Sheeraz (69-64 Sheeraz)

Round six: Zachenhuber with body shots. Sheeraz with combinations to the face and body of Zachenhuber. Sheeraz was digging into the body. Pressing forward, Sheeraz landed quick and punishing blows. 

NESN unofficial scorecard: 10-9 Sheeraz (59-55 Sheeraz)

Round five: Sheeraz with combinations to start the round. He landed a left to the body. Zachenhuber got bombarded with hooks. Sheeraz was chipping away at his opponent, who attempted body shots. Zachenhuber was forced back, towards the ropes. 

NESN unofficial scorecard: 10-9 Sheeraz (49-46 Sheeraz)

Round four: Zachenhuber tried landing all over, but Sheeraz wouldn't give him the time of day. The latter landed an uppercut and left hook to the body. The champion continued to attack the body. A right hand connected, and Sheeraz is rolling.  

NESN unofficial scorecard: 10-9 Sheeraz (39-37 Sheeraz)

Round three: Sheeraz with a body shot and then a hook. He landed a counter uppercut. Zachenhuber got hit with harder hook compared what he was landing. Body shot from Sheeraz. Big right by Sheeraz. Zachenhuber got pushed into the ropes. 

NESN unofficial scorecard: 10-9 Sheeraz (29-28 Sheeraz)

Round two: Zachenhuber was cautious, but managed to land a few nice hooks. A straight jab connected through Sheeraz's defense. Sheeraz with a body shot. Zachenhuber with a body shot. Sheeraz with jabs. A left hit the face of Sheeraz. Zachenhuber with a right. 

NESN unofficial scorecard: 10-9 Zachenhuber (19-19)

Round one: Sheeraz towered over Zachenhuber. The former used his reach to push his opponent back. He used one-handed combinations. Zachenhuber tried for body shots. Sheeraz with combinations. They were light, as he was acting patient. He then let loose for a bit.  

NESN unofficial scorecard: 10-9 Sheeraz

Hamzah Sheeraz defends the WBO super middleweight title against Simon Zachenhuber.

Josh Kelly retains super welterweight gold against game Caoimhin Agyarko

Round twelve: Kelly with a counter uppercut. He was badly bleeding but still had energy. Right hand landed on Agyarko. Uppercut from Kelly. Big counter hook from Kelly. Right hand from Agyarko. Kelly won via unanimous decision.

NESN unofficial scorecard: 10-9 Kelly (117-110 Kelly)

Round eleven: Kelly started the round with combinations and hooks. He went inside and outside, providing damage on all fronts. Kelly with uppercuts. Right hand from Agyarko. Body from Kelly. Kelly with shots on the inside. Big shot to the nose hurt Kelly.  

NESN unofficial scorecard: 10-9 Kelly (107-101 Kelly)

Round ten: Kelly landed combinations. His nose looked broken. Kelly with body shots and combinations. He went up and down. Combinations connected, forcing Agyarko to lose momentum. Agyarko did manage to land some jabs. He ended the round with hooks. 

NESN unofficial scorecard: 10-9 Kelly (97-92 Kelly)

Round nine: Agyarko with a jab. He landed another big shot that pushed Kelly back. A hook from Agyarko connected. Kelly finally opened up with combinations. He landed body shots. 

NESN unofficial scorecard: 10-9 Kelly (87-83 Kelly)

Round eight: Agyarko with a shot that landed across Kelly's face. A double jab from Agyarko. Kelly with combinations. Agyarko with body shots. Body shots and a shot to the face hurt Kelly. 

NESN unofficial scorecard: 10-9Agyarko (77-74 Kelly)

Round seven: Agyarko got hit with a counter hook. He landed a hook of his own. Agyarko went to the body. He hit combinations, ending it with a hook.  

NESN unofficial scorecard: 10-9 Agyarko (68-64 Kelly)

Round six: Agyarko with inside body shots. The referee gave Kelly a warning. Kelly with jabs and hooks. A point was taken off after multiple shots behind the head from Kelly. A left from Agyarko connected.

NESN unofficial scorecard: 9-9 (59-54 Kelly)

Round five: Kelly unloaded with combinations. Agyarko held Kelly to avoid further damage as the champion was the aggressor. Kelly with a shot behind the head. He had a cut on his cheek. Agyarko tried to apply pressure before the round ended. 

NESN unofficial scorecard: 10-9 Kelly (50-45 Kelly)

Round four: Agyarko tried landing hooks, but Kelly had a solid defense. The latter landed jabs. No crazy damage delivered yet. Agyarko got hit with a counter hook. Kelly with a body shot, a rare shot downstairs.

NESN unofficial scorecard: 10-9 Kelly (40-36 Kelly)

Round three: Agyarko with combinations to start the round. Kelly had his hands down, but managed to avoid big strikes. Agyarko got hit with counter shots and a hook. Kelly with a counter hook. Pressing forward, Kelly landed a big right. 

NESN unofficial scorecard: 10-9 Kelly (30-27 Kelly)

Round two: Agyarko went low but Kelly landed sharp hooks to the head of his opponent. Kelly with a left hook. He looked confident as he paraded around the ring. Agyarko with a jab, while Kelly used his reach to his advantage. 

NESN unofficial scorecard: 10-9 Kelly (20-18 Kelly)

Round one: Agyarko with jabs early in the fight. He landed counter shots to the head of Kelly. Kelly responded with shots that pushed him back. Kelly pressed forward. He landed a left hand to counter a hook from Agyarko. Combinations from the champion connected. 

NESN unofficial scorecard: 10-9 Kelly

3:36 p.m. ET: Josh Kelly defends the IBF super welterweight title against Caoimhin Agyarko next!

3:10 p.m. ET: Left hands landed all over Herrera. A left dropped Herrera and the referee saw enough. Another big performance by Tsutsumi, winning in the second round.  

3:07 p.m. ET: Tsutsumi landed inside low labs to the body of Herrera. Herrera tried to fight off the ropes. Tsutsumi was the faster fighter. Hooks and uppercuts landed and Tsutsumi dropped Herrera to the ground. Using fast hand speed, he dropped Herrera again. Straight jabs connected. 

2:57 p.m. ET: Ring ambassador Reito Tsutsumi heads to the ring to face Alvino Herrera next

2:43 p.m. ET: Both gave it their all. The final round saw August continued to stalk Bank, but the latter looked loose and unbothered. They exchanged blows in the final few minutes. Bank won via unanimous decision and could be competing for gold in 2027.

2:33 p.m. ET: Bank was landing more power shots as we got to round four. He hit combinations, from jabs to hooks. August pressing forward didn't benefit him in round five, as Bank punished him with straight jabs. Bank with a nice counter shot to the gut of August. The former landed a vicious uppercut. He believes he can go for the stoppage.

2:19 p.m. ET: August pressed forward to start the fight, landing several shots by the ropes. Bank used jabs in round two, even while being pushed back. Both are hungry. August continued to bring Bank by the ropes. Meanwhile, Bank landed hard body shots, against all odds.

2:03 p.m. ET: Pawel August vs. Jacob Bankis next. The battle of the undefeated fighters.

1:45 pm. ET: Usyk went through the heavyweight landscape in a long bit. One of those men will be the future, one could face him at some point. 

1:30 p.m. ET: The future has arrived as Nishant Dev took downCesar Diaz with ease.

1:28 p.m. ET: Diaz got dropped late in the first round following a counter from Dev. Dev hit several body shots as he looked like the faster and hungrier fighter. Diaz got knocked down again. Dev pounced and dropped him for a third time with seconds left in the round. 

1:18 p.m. ET: Nishant Dev of India takes on Cesar Diaz to open the main card. 

1:14 p.m. ET: It's rumored that Tyson Fury, who beat Mariusz Wach on Friday, will be in the building. 

1 p.m. ET: The main card has started. 

12:35 p.m. ET: Khyzhniak needed only two rounds to take out Patrach to move to 2-0. 

12:20 p.m. ET: Lenny Patrach vs. Oleksandr Khyzniak is the last fight of the prelims. 

12:07 p.m. ET: Mango dropped Almaayouf in the fifth round. It wasn't enough, as Almaayouf won via unanimous decision. 

11:35 a.m. ET: Frank Mango vs. Ziyad Almaayouf is up next on the prelims. We are getting closer to the main card.

11:22 a.m. ET: Former heavyweight king Oleksandr Usyk has arrived in Saudi Arabia to cheer on Anthony Joshua. Former opponents, Usyk and Joshua have worked together since their two fights. 

11:10 a.m. ET: Three straight knockout wins on the undercard, as Mikie Tallon took out Orlando Pino in the first round. 

11 a.m. ET: Mohammed Alakel, one of the top prospects in boxing, scored a vicious knockout win against Lydon Chircop.

10:45 a.m. ET: Knockouts started early as Sultan Almohammed took outEfren Besalduch in round three.

As folks in the U.S. are starting to wake up, Mohamed Moubarak defeated Bryan Zapata via unanimous decision. Meanwhile, Omar Hikal defeatedBrian Castellano via decision. 

9 a.m. ET: The prelims have started! 

How to watch Anthony Joshua vs. Kristian Prenga

  • Live stream:DAZN
  • PPV price: $59.99 for event only or $49.99 per month for DAZN Ultimate package

Joshua vs. Prenga will not air on a national TV channel. The fight will be available to stream exclusively on DAZN.

If you want to watch the event, the PPV price is $59.99. You can also sign up for the DAZN Ultimate package, which can be purchased for $49.99 per month.

DAZN Ultimate is DAZN's premium subscription tier, which includes a minimum of 12 PPV boxing events and more than 185 fights per year.

Anthony Joshua vs. Kristian Prenga date, start time

  • Date: Saturday, July 25
  • PPV start time: 1 p.m. ET
  • Main event start time (approx.): 6 p.m. ET
  • Location: Jeddah Superdome (Jeddah, Saudi Arabia)

Joshua vs. Prenga will be held in Saudi Arabia on Saturday, July 25. The main card starts at 1 p.m. ET, and the main event should begin around 6 p.m. ET, depending on how long the undercard fights last.

Read full story at source