Anthony Joshua has been warned against fighting through grief after surviving a nightmare comeback against Kristian Prenga, as British heavyweight legends Frank Bruno and Lennox Lewis offered sharply contrasting views on where the former world champion stands ahead of a proposed clash with Tyson Fury.
Joshua climbed off the canvas twice in the opening round before stopping Prenga in the second during his first fight since the Lagos car crash that claimed the lives of two close friends, Latz and Sina.
The victory kept plans for a long-awaited showdown with Fury alive, but it also reopened the question of whether Joshua is ready for the biggest fight of his comeback.
Anthony Joshua
Joshua looked back to his 2019 version when walking to the ring and was noticeably nervous for his first fight since the crash.
Fighting away from home in Saudi Arabia seemed to be the right choice at the time, but maybe AJ needed the support only a home crowd can provide after spending months outside the goldfish bowl of London following the accident.
It took things to go horribly wrong for Joshua to wake up, and that can’t be the case against Tyson Fury.
Even a 50 percent Fury can do significant damage, especially over several rounds against Joshua. It’s certainly worth rethinking whether the former two-time heavyweight champion is ready for the challenge right now.
Pushing the Fury fight back another year could make more sense than rushing into Britain’s biggest heavyweight showdown.
Trying to fight through grief while taking punches to the head doesn’t look like the answer for Joshua right now.
Lennox Lewis
Lennox Lewis admitted the Prenga performance left him questioning whether Joshua should even be in the ring.
“Does he really belong in the ring right now?” Lewis told The Ring.
“A virtual novice put him on the ground twice in the first round. Is that it, have we seen the last of him? It’s not like he’s his old self.”
Lewis also believes Fury remains the favorite if the fight goes ahead.
“Definitely, Fury is closer but both are shadows of their former selves. I’d side with Fury … he showed me more in his two fights than Joshua has recently.
“He boxed a YouTuber, now boxed a guy who knocked him down twice and next faces Fury? That’s a big step up.”
Frank Bruno
Bruno took a more optimistic view despite acknowledging Joshua endured a difficult night.
“Not the best day in the office but all ended okay!” said Bruno.
“It has set up the clash with Tyson Fury perfectly.
“The armchair experts question some of the opponents that are not known. I know this from my experience, they can and do surprise you, and AJ’s opponent Prenga proved the point.
“Never underestimate your opponent. They have nothing to lose.”
Bruno sees the comeback victory as another step toward finally sharing the ring with Fury, while Lewis believes Joshua’s display raised fresh concerns.
Joshua now faces the biggest decision of his career.
The money fight with Fury is finally within touching distance, but after everything he has been through outside the ring, only Joshua and those closest to him know whether now is the right time to take it.
About the Author
Phil Jay is the Editor-in-Chief of World Boxing News (WBN), a BWAA-acknowledged boxing news website founded in 2010. A veteran boxing reporter with 16 years of experience, he has interviewed world champions, broken international exclusives, and reported ringside from major events. His work is published worldwide through WBN and distributed on platforms including Apple News.
Read Phil Jay’s full bio and latest stories.
