Sergey Lapin fires back at Anthony Joshua critics

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, live on DAZN PPV. Joshua ultimately won, but it was anything but plain sailing for the Brit, who survived a hellacious first round before stopping his Albanian opponent. Sergey Lapin, the director of Team Usyk, spoke to Action Network, firing back at Joshua’s critics.

Anthony Joshua wins comeback fight in dramatic style

Anthony Joshua vs Kristian Prenga was expected to be a straightforward tune-up fight for the Brit, but it was anything but. Just seconds into the fight, Joshua (30-4, 27 KOs) was caught by a right hand from Prenga (20-2, 20 KOs), who followed up with a right uppercut to stun the boxing world and knock Joshua down. 

AJ was soon in trouble again, with Prenga landing a big right hand, knocking the Brit back into the ropes. He was fortunate that it was not ruled a knockdown. A clubbing right hand saw Joshua touch down again. At this point, the Tyson Fury fight looked like it was slipping away.

Joshua survived the round, and his corner instructed him to keep his left hand higher and work off his jab, and AJ implemented those plans to perfection. He looked lighter on his feet in the second, controlling distance well, before backing Prenga up with some well-placed right hands. 

AJ landed a right hand near the end of the round, followed by a left, then a huge right hand that almost knocked Prenga out of the ring, which prompted the referee to rightly jump in and wave the fight off.

Sergey Lapin fires back at critics

Looking at AJ’s performance, it’s easy and not necessarily wrong that his punch resistance has gone. Many have expressed their worry regarding that, including Dave Allen. However, Lapin was full of praise for Joshua, while acknowledging there’s room for improvement:

“You can’t judge a fighter based on one round. The first round gives you information; it doesn’t deliver a verdict. Yes, there were things we didn’t like, and we’ll analyze them carefully.

“But the most important thing is that he adapted, made adjustments during the fight, and won. The ability to adapt under pressure is what separates great champions from everyone else.”

Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury

Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury continues to be the most talked-about fight in the sport. It remains to be seen when and where the fight takes place. Tyson Fury vs Mariusz Wach and Joshua vs Prenga showed us all the decline in both Brits, understandable given their ages.

Joshua was stunned in the first round, while “The Gypsy King” looked more sluggish than usual and was caught by a couple of right hands from the 46-year-old Wach. 

Despite his troubles against Prenga, 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. His sheer desire and will to return can only be applauded, returning just seven months after the tragic crash in Nigeria.

Despite his inactivity in recent years, Fury’s confidence has never outwardly wavered, and he will back himself to go into the Joshua fight and blow his fellow Brit away.

Yes, the fight is happening 6-7 years too late, but should it get confirmed as expected, the excitement before the bout will be huge.

Featured Image Credit:

Mark Robinson/Goldstar Promotions