Dave Allen gives honest reaction to Anthony Joshua’s comeback win

On July 25, at the Jeddah Superdome in Saudi Arabia, Anthony Joshua vs Kristian Prenga headlined a Jeddah Season fight card in a 12-round heavyweight bout. Fight fans around the world could catch the action live as a pay-per-view (PPV) on DAZN. Joshua ultimately won in the second round via a huge viral knockout. It was anything but straightforward for the Brit, and fellow British heavyweight Dave Allen gave his honest reaction via his TikTok channel.

Anthony Joshua defeats Kristian Prenga in Jeddah

Many expected Anthony Joshua (30-4, 27 KOs) to walk through Prenga (20-2, 20 KOs), but the Brit experienced the worst possible opening round when he was caught by a right hand, then an uppercut knocked him down, shocking all in the arena and watching around the world. 

Another right hand sent Joshua tumbling back into the ropes, and that could have easily been called a knockdown but was not. A clubbing right hand saw Joshua touch down again. At this point, the Tyson Fury fight looked further away than ever.

Joshua’s corner did a great job helping him recover and instructed him to keep his left hand higher and work off his jab, and AJ executed those instructions and controlled the tempo well with his jab in the second, before Joshua backed the Albanian up with some heavy right hands. Near the end of the second round, Joshua landed a heavy right hand, followed by a left hand, before Joshua detonated a huge right hand that almost knocked Prenga out of the ring, forcing the referee to wave the fight off. It was heart-in-mouth time for Joshua’s supporters, but the knockout was vintage AJ!

Dave Allen gives honest reaction to Joshua victory

When asked on his TikTok account whether he saw the Anthony Joshua vs Kristian Prenga fight and what his thoughts were on Joshua being knocked down twice in the first round, Allen said:

“Yeah, I watched the Joshua fight. His punch resistance worries me, a lot of time out. He got put over a few times. Prenga’s heavy-handed, but I don’t think he’s a massive puncher even though his record suggests that he is. He’s never put anyone over of a high level.

“I thought it was worrying actually. I think if him and Fury are gonna happen, it’s miles too late. I used to think Fury would win on points, but now, one of them’s gonna get done early, I think. I think they’re both well past their best. But respect for them, but the fights happening way too late, and it’s not the fight it should have been.”

Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury

Tyson Fury vs Mariusz Wach and Joshua vs Prenga were described as tune-up fights for both, and ultimately they both were victorious. However, Fury looked slower than usual against Wach, which will worry his supporters, while the first round for Joshua was a nightmare.

Joshua’s desire cannot be questioned after being involved in the devastating car crash in Nigeria, which claimed the lives of his two close friends, Sina Ghami and Latif “Latz” Ayodele. The sheer spirit to return to the ring seven months after such a tragic incident, and the mark that leaves cannot be understated. 

Many rightly questioned Joshua’s punch resistance after the fight, and I cannot say they were wrong, but it felt like ring rust watching it. Joshua hasn’t been hit hard since his loss to Daniel Dubois. On one hand, his resistance could be gone, but on the other, climbing off the deck and winning could have helped him break through a mental barrier in preparation for the likely Fury showdown.

When and where Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury happens remains to be seen, but both have done what they needed to, so we can finally expect these two to face each other later this year.

Featured Image Credit:

Mark Robinson/Goldstar Promotions