Anthony Joshua has rejected concerns over his punch resistance after recovering from two first-round knockdowns to stop Kristian Prenga in the second round.
The former two-time unified heavyweight champion was dropped inside the opening 20 seconds and hit the canvas again later in the round before dramatically turning the fight around.
“I got back up, took a beating, stood the storm and came back in round two,” Joshua said. “That’s resistance. Resistance is spirit, durability, everything combined.”
Joshua acknowledged that Prenga’s power caused him problems but argued that facing heavy-handed opponents inevitably brings risk.
“He hit me with a good uppercut,” Joshua said. “Boxing’s not pretty. I’m in against livewires. It’s not so much about resistance, it’s just that I’m in with strong, heavy-handed guys who want to come and win.”
The 36-year-old then pointed to the result as his answer to the criticism. “I’m sitting here victorious,” he said. “I ain’t the one with issues with my punch resistance.”
Image Credit: Sky Sports