‘It Was for Latz, Sina’: Anthony Joshua Pays Emotional Tribute After Knockout Win

Anthony Joshua has dedicated his emotional comeback victory over Kristian Prenga to his late coaches and close friends, Sina Ghami and Latif “Latz” Ayodele, after battling back from two knockdowns to secure a second-round knockout.

The Nigerian-British heavyweight was competing for the first time since the fatal car crash in Nigeria last December that claimed the lives of Ghami, his strength and conditioning coach, and Ayodele, his personal trainer.

Joshua honoured the pair by wearing camouflage ring gear featuring their names before the fight.

Reflecting on the victory, the former heavyweight champion said the triumph carried far greater significance than boxing.

“It’s what champions do. We rise, we get knocked down, and we stand up and keep going. That’s life.

“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.”

Despite entering the contest as the clear favourite, Joshua suffered an early scare when Prenga floored him twice in the opening three minutes.

He responded in dominant fashion, taking control of the fight before knocking out the Albanian in the second round to maintain momentum towards a blockbuster all-British heavyweight showdown with Tyson Fury.

Promoter Eddie Hearn hailed Joshua’s determination, saying the former champion had shown incredible strength in returning to the ring after months of grief.

“No one can imagine what Anthony has been through in the last seven months.

“To even step into the ring was astonishing,” Hearn said.

According to Hearn, Joshua channelled his emotions into training and displayed outstanding resilience by recovering from two knockdowns to win convincingly.

Hearn further revealed that contracts have already been signed for the long-awaited Joshua-Fury fight, although the venue and date remain undecided.

Fury, who beat veteran heavyweight Mariusz Wach in Thailand on Friday, was absent from Joshua’s fight after travelling back to the Isle of Man.

Joshua welcomed the opportunity to finally face Fury.

“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 learnt that I can’t be stopped, I won’t be denied, and we’re coming,” Joshua added.

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