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Anthony Joshua's second-round knockout victory on Saturday met many predictions, but the manner in which he achieved it was far from convincing. Joshua (30-4, 27 KOs) endured a tough first round, being knocked down twice by Daniel Prenga (20-2, 20 KOs) and appearing unsteady on his feet, yet he rallied to knock out his underdog opponent.
While no titles were on the line in this bout, Joshua's highly anticipated clash with Tyson Fury was at stake. After Fury comfortably won his warm-up fight on Friday, Joshua faced more challenges, but ultimately, both fighters got the job done.
Promoter Eddie Hearn believes Joshua can still defeat Fury, even if he boxes in the same way he did against Prenga, but he admits the Briton needs to perform better, otherwise he'll be relying solely on his power.
"He can fight like that and beat Tyson Fury because he possesses the power to knock anyone out," Hearn stated. "But he needs to be better, because Prenga isn't as good as Tyson Fury. Prenga hits much harder, but he's not on Fury's level. So, Joshua needs to perform better. One thing is certain, though – you'll have to nail AJ to the canvas to beat him. That's the reality. Whether he wins, loses, or draws, he always delivers incredible drama," the promoter added.
Hearn was also asked if he thought Joshua struggled mentally to get motivated for a fight against Prenga and if he would be more driven against Fury.
"Will he be much sharper against an opponent like Fury? I can't give you an answer," Hearn said. "All I know is that he will give 110 percent. And I stand by my opinion that if he hits him on the chin, the fight is over. I believe he will knock Fury out.""
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