Updated

Updated · The Guardian · Jul 26

Joshua Stops Prenga in 2nd Round After 2 Knockdowns as $200 Million Fury Fight Faces Fresh Doubts

Updated

Updated · The Guardian · Jul 26

Joshua Stops Prenga in 2nd Round After 2 Knockdowns as $200 Million Fury Fight Faces Fresh Doubts

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 · The Guardian · Jul 26

Five minutes and 43 seconds into a supposed tune-up, Anthony Joshua survived two first-round knockdowns and stopped Kristian Prenga in the second, then called the scare a “valuable lesson.”
Prenga hurt Joshua with an early right hand and uppercuts, exposing how vulnerable the 36-year-old looked whenever he was tagged before the Albanian retreated and allowed Joshua to seize control.
Joshua linked his recovery to the deaths of close friends Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele in a car crash seven months ago, while promoter Eddie Hearn said he feared Joshua had returned too soon.
November’s Tyson Fury bout is signed, Hearn said, but Joshua’s shaky display deepened concern about the matchup and could complicate plans as the fight is now expected in the U.S., not the UK.