Anthony Joshua praised for sportsmanship after knockout of Kristian Prenga and invited to Albania
British heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua knocked out Albanian boxer Kristian Prenga in the second round of their bout on 25 July in Saudi Arabia. After the fight Joshua posted video footage showing him draped with the Albanian flag, thanked Prenga’s family and said, “You have a second home in Albania.” Prenga responded by calling Joshua a boxing legend and welcomed him to visit Albania.
Separate from the match, Albanian professional boxer Robert Bakaj used social media to issue a public challenge to Joshua, promising massive fan support for a future showdown. Bakaj highlighted his perfect record of 16 professional fights, all won by knockout, and noted that Joshua is next set to prepare for a high‑profile clash with Tyson Fury.
Entities: Albania · Anthony Joshua · Kristian Prenga · Robert Bakaj · Saudi Arabia
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 2 SOURCES] Prenga called Joshua a boxing legend and welcomed him to Albania. (4733d8a4-634f-4da3-9a88-9af395a38dec, 8adc9e51-f20d-4b4b-91de-92fc401bfa7c)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Joshua displayed an Albanian flag on his robe after the fight. (4733d8a4-634f-4da3-9a88-9af395a38dec, 8adc9e51-f20d-4b4b-91de-92fc401bfa7c)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Bakaj has a professional record of 16 fights, all won by knockout. (7d1cf8e7-4a66-4690-8f9b-c7d86718b038)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Joshua thanked Prenga’s family and invited him to visit Albania, saying he has a second home there. (4733d8a4-634f-4da3-9a88-9af395a38dec, 8adc9e51-f20d-4b4b-91de-92fc401bfa7c)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Joshua is preparing for a bout with Tyson Fury. (7d1cf8e7-4a66-4690-8f9b-c7d86718b038)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Robert Bakaj publicly challenged Anthony Joshua for a future bout via social media. (7d1cf8e7-4a66-4690-8f9b-c7d86718b038)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Anthony Joshua defeated Kristian Prenga by knockout in the second round on 25 July. (4733d8a4-634f-4da3-9a88-9af395a38dec, 7d1cf8e7-4a66-4690-8f9b-c7d86718b038, 8adc9e51-f20d-4b4b-91de-92fc401bfa7c)
- [● 3 SOURCES] The fight took place in Saudi Arabia. (4733d8a4-634f-4da3-9a88-9af395a38dec, 7d1cf8e7-4a66-4690-8f9b-c7d86718b038, 8adc9e51-f20d-4b4b-91de-92fc401bfa7c)