Anthony Joshua cleared his final hurdle in the ring, before he fights Tyson Fury in November, after he was knocked down twice, shockingly, in the first round of his wild and chaotic bout with Kristian Prenga in the early hours of Sunday morning in Jeddah. A devastating knockout in the second left Prenga crumpled in a heap on the canvas, wrapped up in the ropes, and rescued Joshua from humiliation.
After the opening three minutes his extravaganza with Fury looked as if it was about to end in abject ruins but Joshua pulled himself out of a dark pit streaked with defeat to salvage his career – and his much-hyped fight with his British compatriot.