Updated

Updated · Yahoo Sports · Jul 25

Anthony Joshua Stops Kristian Prenga in Round 2 as 2 First-Round Knockdowns Fail to Deraill Fury Fight

Updated

Updated · Yahoo Sports · Jul 25

Anthony Joshua Stops Kristian Prenga in Round 2 as 2 First-Round Knockdowns Fail to Deraill Fury Fight

Q: Can Caoimhin Agyarko overcome the odds tonight to make history as the first Black Irish world champion?

Yes — Agyarko can do it, but he enters as the underdog and will likely need the best performance of his career to beat Josh Kelly. The opportunity is real. Agyarko, unbeaten at 18-0, is fighting for Kelly’s IBF junior middleweight title in Jeddah and has openly said his aim is to become the first Black Irish world champion. He has already made history by becoming the first Black Irishman to challenge for a world title, and a win tonight would take that a step further. The challenge is significant. Kelly is the defending champion, carries more top-level experience and is widely viewed as the favorite. Analysts have pointed to Kelly’s lateral movement, sharp left-hand pot-shotting and effective pull counter as major advantages. Betting markets have also leaned clearly toward Kelly, reflecting the gap in championship experience. Agyarko’s route to an upset is clear but demanding. He has said he must rely on timing, feints, level changes and sustained pressure. That fits the tactical analysis around the fight: if he can disrupt Kelly’s rhythm, win exchanges in close and avoid being outscored at range, he has a credible chance of forcing a close decision. His resilience also matters, given the setbacks he has overcome in and out of the ring. So the odds are against him, but not overwhelmingly so. If Agyarko can impose his fight rather than box at Kelly’s preferred tempo, he has a genuine shot at making history tonight.

3 articles · Updated · Yahoo Sports · Jul 25

2:43 into Round 2, Anthony Joshua knocked out Kristian Prenga in Riyadh after surviving two first-round knockdowns that briefly put his tune-up bout in danger.
Prenga, a +900 underdog from Albania, stunned the crowd by dropping the former heavyweight champion twice early, but Joshua stayed composed and reversed the fight with a sharp finishing combination.
Joshua, now 30-4, used his post-fight interview to shift attention to Tyson Fury, praising Fury, Eddie Hearn and Turki Alalshikh for helping line up the bigger matchup.
November is still the expected target for Joshua-Fury, though final details have yet to be settled.