Anthony Joshua went down to the canvas inside of 20 seconds last Saturday, and if you thought that was wild, just wait. The super-fight with Tyson Fury, which everyone’s been hyping forever, is actually getting *further* from happening, not closer. Two conflicting contract clauses and a brutal first-round knockdown just tore down the last few hopeful fences between these heavyweights.
AJ Barely Survived, Mentally or Physically?
Joshua’s fight against Kristian Prenga was a rollercoaster. He hit the deck in those first 20 seconds, and for a hot minute, it felt like the whole Fury showdown was going down with him. But AJ bounced back, laughing off the scare as Prenga got his head snapped against the ropes and faded into obscurity. Joshua got the win via second-round KO at 2:43, and yeah, there were wild whispers about it being fixed, but come on. Every hit, every bit of pain, it was all real.
But here’s the kicker: Joshua’s making this quick comeback after a horrific car crash in December in Nigeria, an accident that tragically killed two of his teammates. He even trained with his old rival Oleksandr Usyk in Ukraine, showing incredible determination. Yet, the blunt truth? He got dropped by Prenga’s first real meaningful shot. That throws up huge red flags about his mental state or his chin, and you gotta wonder if he’s truly ready for Fury.
Fury’s Snoozefest and the Contract Catastrophe
Meanwhile, Tyson Fury had his own bout, beating Mariusz Wach via seventh-round TKO at 3:00 in Thailand. But let’s be real, a 46-year-old Wach, in a fight broadcast nowhere, is no “Gypsy King” litmus test. Fury looked comfortable, sure, but nothing more, echoing his April fight against Arslanbek Makhmudov. Just 24 hours earlier, everyone thought AJ’s win was a lock, given Fury’s lackluster performance.
But the real drama isn’t even in the ring. The ‘final hurdles’ of these warm-up fights might be gone, but new, even bigger ones have popped up for that proposed November showdown at Wembley. Saudi matchmaker Turki Alalshikh’s proposed 2am GMT ring walks were already farcical, but now we’re talking about conflicting contracts. Joshua’s deal demands a British soil fight, while Fury’s allows for a US meeting. Plus, there are whispers behind closed doors about Joshua’s mental state after that scare against Prenga. It feels like we just cleared two small speed bumps only to find a brick wall.
The writing’s on the wall, people. Don’t be shocked if Joshua vs. Fury gets punted to 2027. Don’t be surprised if they suggest more warm-up fights. Honestly, don’t be surprised if we never see “the big one” happen at all. Remember, this fight has been signed before, and it fell through. With Joshua’s chin or mind potentially compromised, and Fury’s legs possibly gone, as one boxer told the Independent, this fight was already shaping up to be “several years too late.” Now it feels like it might just be too complicated to ever truly land.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
Leave a Reply