By ABDULRAHMAN YAHAYA

Nigerian-British born heavyweight boxer, Anthony Joshua, has dismissed concerns about his punch resistance after recovering from two first-round knockdowns to defeat Kristian Prenga in a heavyweight bout.

Joshua, a two-time former unified heavyweight world champion, spoke shortly after the fight which was monitored online by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

He was floored twice within the opening round by Prenga, who entered the contest as the underdog in what had been billed as a tune-up fight ahead of a potential showdown with Tyson Fury.

However, the British boxer recovered in the second round, knocking down and stopping Prenga to secure victory.

Speaking after the fight, Joshua rejected suggestions that the early knockdowns exposed weaknesses in his ability to absorb punches.

“I got back up. That happened in the first 20 seconds of round one.

“I got back up, took a beating, weathered the storm and came back in round two.

“That is resistance. Resistance is spirit, durability and everything combined.

“Winning is not just one thing; it is a combination of many qualities,” he said.

Joshua described Prenga as a dangerous opponent with proven punching power.

“I was in with someone who has knocked out 20 people. He is definitely a strong guy. He caught me with a good uppercut.

“Boxing is not pretty. I know it is going to be tough because I fight strong, heavy-handed opponents who come to win,” he said.

The former champion added that questions about his punch resistance would have been justified only if he had lost the contest.

“He hit me with a good shot. So what? I got up, kept going until it was my turn, and I came out on top.

“You should be asking him about his punch resistance, not me. I am the one sitting here victorious,” Joshua said.

Joshua is now expected to face fellow British heavyweight pugilist, Tyson Fury, who also recorded a victory over Mariusz Wach in an interim bout during the weekend.

The highly anticipated clash is expected to be finalised in the coming weeks, with fans looking forward to seeing whether Joshua’s resilience against Prenga will carry into the proposed November showdown. (NAN)

Update news