Anthony Joshua came through one of the most dramatic and difficult nights of his career to win his comeback fight in Saudi Arabia. Sky News reported that the return to the ring was anything but straightforward for the British heavyweight, and that at one stage it looked as though his career might be over. In the end, however, Joshua got the job done and walked away with the victory.
The trouble began almost immediately. Joshua's opponent, Prenge, shocked the arena by putting him down on the canvas within the first 20 seconds of the contest with an uppercut. Not long afterwards, Prenge had Joshua on the ropes again following a huge right hand, leaving the former champion looking rattled and unsteady in the earliest exchanges of the fight.
The problems continued before the opening round was even over. Prenge sent Joshua to the canvas once again after the heavyweight had looked very uneasy on his feet. The bell offered some respite, and Joshua returned to his corner for a pep talk from his team. Recovering from that start was described as one of the greatest escapes of his career, allowing him to stay in the contest.
Joshua then turned the fight around in the second round. In the closing stages of the round, he overpowered Prenge with a huge knockout blow that sent his opponent crashing down to end the contest. The finish brought massive relief for Joshua and for his team after a night that had threatened to unravel in the opening three minutes.
Part of Joshua's preparation for the comeback had involved working closely with the team around Alexander Usyk, and training alongside Usyk himself. That link-up formed part of the build-up to a fight that ultimately tested Joshua far more severely than many had expected, given how close he came to defeat in the first round.
The manner of the win inevitably raised questions about where Joshua stands, but attention quickly moved to what could come next. There has been talk of a fight against Tyson Fury before the end of the year, with reports that each boxer has already signed a contract. The venue, however, remains undecided and subject to dispute, with many arguing that a meeting between two British fighters should be staged in the United Kingdom.