Joshua’s comeback victory brings new controversy
Anthony Joshua’s dramatic comeback victory over Kristian Prenga has taken another twist after the Albanian’s manager claimed illness severely disrupted his preparations before the fight, reports BritPanorama.
Prenga surprised boxing fans by knocking down the former two-time heavyweight world champion twice in the opening round of their bout in Jeddah, before fading dramatically and being stopped by Joshua in the second round.
This abrupt turnaround fueled conspiracy theories online, with some social media users suggesting that the contest had been fixed after Prenga’s initial dominance faded. However, Prenga’s manager, Keith Sullivan, has strongly rejected those claims, insisting that the 35-year-old had been battling illness in the weeks leading up to the bout and simply ran out of energy.
Speaking to DAZN, Sullivan explained that he did not initially intend to make the issue public but felt compelled to respond amid the intensifying speculation. “This is the first time anybody from Team Prenga is mentioning this, and we had no intention of ever discussing this,” Sullivan said. He asserted the importance of accountability, stating, “Everybody I deal with in boxing, I’m a person that believes in responsibility and accountability, and accept the outcome of things, and we do.”
Sullivan detailed that Prenga’s training camp had been highly affected by his illness, noting, “Kristian had gotten very sick leading up to the fight. He didn’t spar or train for two weeks before he got to Jeddah.” Prenga suffered from a 102-degree fever and was bedridden for eight days. Following his recovery, the team moved their camp to Dubai, where doctors reassured them that he was simply run down and would recover.
According to Sullivan, Prenga managed only a week of training before travelling to Saudi Arabia, with plans for sparring sessions ultimately abandoned as he remained too weak. “It took 14 days, so we had the last seven days before we went to Jeddah for training. We had a sparring partner there in Dubai who we didn’t use at all. We couldn’t get him out of bed to go for a walk,” he added.
Sullivan also outlined that, during the fight, Prenga “came out and just gassed himself out.” The corner instructed him to “keep the pressure on, keep pumping the jab and when you have the opportunities, take him.” Unfortunately, as Sullivan reported, Prenga struggled, feeling reminiscent of his sick days before the bout.
Joshua, meanwhile, managed to recover from the two early knockdowns, delivering a powerful right hand that ultimately ended the contest, keeping alive plans for a blockbuster showdown against Tyson Fury later in the year. After the fight, Joshua was seen embracing Prenga’s parents backstage, while reports indicated that the defeated Albanian apologised to his team and supporters following his loss.
As attention now turns to the negotiations surrounding a long-awaited clash between Joshua and Fury, discussions continue over where the heavyweight showdown will take place after Fury’s recent victory over Mariusz Wach in Thailand.
