Based partly on their performances last weekend, former world champion Tony Bellew has offered a knockout prediction for Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua’s potential showdown.
The two British heavyweights are expected to collide later this year after completing their respective warm-up assignments against Mariusz Wach and Kristian Prenga.
On paper, neither man was presented with a particularly high-risk opponent, as while Prenga boasts a 100% knockout-to-win ratio, his level of opposition pales in comparison to that of Joshua.
Yet still, ‘AJ’ was twice floored in the opening round of their clash in Saudi Arabia, the first knockdown arriving within the first 20 seconds.
For many, it seemed a rather unassuming uppercut that decked the 36-year-old, whose punch resistance has been plunged into doubt as he approaches a long-awaited dustup with Fury.
One thing that does not appear to have left the Brit is his power, however, as he ultimately stopped Prenga in round two after surviving the earlier knockdowns.
According to Bellew, who was speaking on Fight Your Corner, Joshua’s only chance of victory is, in fact, by knocking the ‘Gypsy King’ out.
“There’s never been a better time to beat Tyson Fury. Eighteen months ago, Fury [was] an overwhelming favourite. [Fury] is the one who doesn’t want to have a straight up fight with you; he’s the one who wants to box you.
“And the best way to beat a boxer is to just get rid of them, and I think that’s Anthony Joshua’s best chance. If this fight goes to points, Anthony Joshua loses. Anthony Joshua has to win by knockout to win this fight, in my opinion. Let’s be brutally honest, he’s not going to outbox Tyson Fury.”
While Joshua overcame a scare against Prenga, Fury encountered minimal difficulty but nonetheless seemed a shadow of his former self against the 46-year-old Wach, who he stopped in seven rounds.
