Anthony Joshua is set to take on Tyson Fury later this year but, following his performance against Kristian Prenga last month, one British boxing legend has declared that his ‘punch resistance has clearly gone’.
Joshua was brutally stopped by Daniel Dubois in a savage five-round beatdown in September 2024 when challenging for the IBF heavyweight world title. Upon his return, ‘AJ’ stopped YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul, who landed just 16 punches in their December bout.
Last month, against Kristian Prenga, it seemed as though Joshua’s ability to hold a shot had noticeably declined, as he was dropped twice by the lesser-known Albanian in the opening round, before rallying to a second-round knockout win.
Speaking to talkSPORT, three-division world champion Duke McKenzie shared his belief that ‘Joshua’s punch resistance has clearly gone’, whilst recalling how it feels when a fighter becomes more susceptible to being knocked out during the latter stages of their career.
“What we saw was just Joshua falling apart. People talk about his punch resistance being gone, which is clearly has – the wind blows and your legs just betray you as much as your head, you are just gone.
“The wind blows and your legs start going, you try to hold on for dear life and you are just gone.”
McKenzie was knocked out on three occasions during his impressive 46-fight career, with two of those stoppages coming in his last three defeats, against Wales’ Steve Robinson and in his final pro bout, against the Dominican Republic’s Santiago Rojas Alcantara, in 1998.
