Anthony Joshua’s lack of punch resistance was laid bare in a frantic five-minute and 43-second bout against Kristian Prenga, raising serious doubts about his ability to face Tyson Fury in a anticipated £150m showdown. The former world champion was knocked down twice in the first round before rallying to stop the previously obscure Albanian in the second.
Joshua was rocked by a sweeping right hand after just 20 seconds, then floored by an uppercut. He rose unsteadily and was soon in trouble again, another right cross sending him into the ropes. A further uppercut put him down a second time, though his gloves barely brushed the canvas. “I’m gonna come back stronger now,” Joshua insisted later, but his vulnerability was alarming.
In a dramatic turnaround, Prenga backed off in the second round, allowing Joshua to seize control. The Albanian was cornered and overwhelmed by combinations, finally felled by a ferocious right hand. Joshua credited his fortitude to the recent deaths of friends Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele in a car accident. “That was spirit,” he said, fighting tears. “It hurts to even talk about it.”
Meanwhile, Tyson Fury laboured to a seven-round win over 46-year-old Mariusz Wach in Thailand, looking uninspiring. Though Fury remains dangerous, Joshua’s diminished punch resistance—exposed again after a 2024 knockout loss to Daniel Dubois—makes the projected clash a major risk.
“We’ve signed the contract,” promoter Eddie Hearn confirmed. But the images of Joshua wobbling under moderate blows suggest a need for careful reassessment before any meeting with Fury.
