Former world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua has paid an emotional tribute to his late friends and trainers, Sina Ghami and Abdul Lateef “Latz” Ayodele, after staging a dramatic comeback victory over Kristian Prenga.
Joshua, who returned to the ring for the first time since the tragic road accident that claimed the lives of the two men in Lagos, overcame two first-round knockdowns before stopping Prenga with a second-round knockout.
The Nigerian-British boxer honoured the memory of Ghami, his strength and conditioning coach, and Ayodele, his personal trainer, by wearing camouflage ring attire emblazoned with their names before the bout.
Speaking after the fight, an emotional Joshua said the victory was dedicated to the two men, admitting their loss still weighs heavily on him.
“It’s what champions do. We rise, we get knocked down and we stand up and keep going. That’s life,” Joshua said.
“It was more than punch power. That was spirit, that was Latz, that was Sina and their families. It still hurts to talk about it. It’s been tough.”
Joshua entered the contest as the overwhelming favourite but suffered a shocking start after Albania’s Prenga floored him twice within the opening three minutes.
Despite the early setback, the British-Nigerian fighter regained his composure, dominated the remainder of the fight and sealed victory with a second-round stoppage, keeping alive plans for a blockbuster heavyweight showdown with Tyson Fury.
Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, hailed the former champion’s resilience, saying the performance was remarkable considering the emotional pain he has endured over the past several months.
“No one can imagine what Anthony has been through in the last seven months,” Hearn said.
“To even step into the ring was astonishing.”
Hearn added that Joshua had channelled his grief into his training camp and displayed extraordinary determination by recovering from two knockdowns to secure victory.
He also revealed that contracts have been signed for the long-awaited all-British heavyweight clash between Joshua and Tyson Fury, although the date and venue are yet to be confirmed.
Fury, who defeated 46-year-old Mariusz Wach in Thailand on Friday, was absent from Joshua’s fight after returning to the Isle of Man following his own bout.
Looking ahead to the highly anticipated showdown, Joshua said he respects Fury’s achievements but is eager to finally settle their long-awaited rivalry.
“I respect everything he has achieved, but this is the fight we’ve been calling for and now we’re here.
“I hope the fans will enjoy it.
“I’ve learned that I can’t be stopped, I won’t be denied, and we’re coming.”
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