Anthony Joshua has been accused of lacking any real punch resistance as he inches closer towards a long-awaited Battle of Britain with Tyson Fury.
The 36-year-old was supposed to complete Saturday’s warm-up assignment with relative ease, only to suffer two knockdowns in the opening round against Kristian Prenga.
On paper, it was difficult to give the Albanian even a puncher’s chance against Joshua, who has faced a far superior level of opposition throughout his career.
After just 20 seconds of their heavyweight contest in Saudi Arabia, though, ‘AJ’ appeared to be staring down the barrel of a stunning stoppage defeat.
It was a right uppercut, in fact, that contributed to the first knockdown, with Prenga then flooring his man again in a truly dramatic series of events.
Yet despite enduring a nightmare start, Joshua managed to regain his senses and seemingly entered round two with a renewed confidence.
This ultimately saw him drop Prenga and finish his dinner in the same round, keeping himself in pole position for a lucrative Fury showdown later this year.
Sharing his immediate reaction via social media, though, top British trainer Dave Coldwell, who led Tony Bellew to cruiserweight world honours, insisted that the 36-year-old is far removed from his prime.
“Joshua is without a doubt shot to bits. Punch resistance looks completely gone. Last thing a fighter loses is his punch and that’s what got him out of jail tonight.”
While Joshua was made to survive two knockdowns, Fury’s warm-up fight against the 46-year-old Mariusz Wach – which resulted in a seventh-round finish on Friday – seemed rather plain sailing in comparison.
