Anthony Joshua remembered his late friends after a tense win over Kristian Prenga in Jeddah. The British star knocked out the Albanian heavyweight in the second round, after being floored twice in the first – even 20 seconds into the bout. He displayed tremendous character, a trait sharpened by the deaths of team members Sina Ghami and Latif "Latz" Ayodele in a car crash in December.

Speaking after the fight, Joshua told DAZN: "It’s more than punch power. That was spirit, that was Latz, that was Sina, that was the families. It hurts to even talk about it." He added, "All jokes aside, I respect everything he has done and achieved but we are here now. I hope the fans will be in for a lovely treat."

Promoter Eddie Hearn confirmed contracts are signed for the blockbuster showdown and praised Joshua’s return after the grief of the crash. "To be honest with you, tonight is all about the strength AJ has showed to even be here tonight," Hearn said.

Fury beat Polish veteran Mariusz Wach in Thailand, moving the stolley‑ring‑up closer to a November showdown in America.