Nigerian-British heavyweight boxer Anthony Joshua dedicated his latest victory over Kristian Prenga to his late coaches, Sina Ghami and Latif "Latz" Ayodele, after battling back from two early knockdowns to claim a second-round knockout win.
The fight was Joshua's first appearance in the ring since the tragic car accident in Ogun State, Nigeria, in December that claimed the lives of Ghami, his strength and conditioning coach, and Ayodele, his personal trainer.
Joshua entered the arena wearing camouflage gear with the names of both men printed on it as a tribute to their memory.
After the fight, the former world heavyweight champion said the victory meant much more than just another win.
"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."
Despite going into the contest as the overwhelming favourite, Joshua endured a difficult opening round after Prenga floored him twice within the first three minutes.
The British-Nigerian fighter, however, recovered impressively, took control of the fight and stopped his opponent in the second round, keeping alive hopes of a long-awaited showdown with fellow Briton Tyson Fury.
Joshua's promoter, Eddie Hearn, praised his resilience, saying it was remarkable that the former champion was even able to compete after the personal loss he suffered.
"No one can imagine what Anthony has been through in the last seven months. To even step into the ring was astonishing," Hearn said.
He added that Joshua had used his training camp to stay focused despite his grief and showed tremendous determination by recovering after being knocked down twice.
Hearn also revealed that contracts have already been signed for the highly anticipated fight between Joshua and Fury, although the date and venue are yet to be announced.
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Fury, who defeated 46-year-old Mariusz Wach in Thailand on Friday, returned to the Isle of Man after his own bout and did not attend Joshua's fight.
Joshua said he has great respect for Fury's achievements but is ready to finally settle their long-running rivalry.
"I respect everything he has achieved, but this is the fight we've been calling for and now we're here," he said.
"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."
