Joshua Survives Early Scare,
Fury Goes Through The Motions…
Now Comes The Fight Everyone One Wanted
By William Trillo
Heavyweight boxing finally cleared the hurdle it has spent years tripping over.
Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury both won their tune-up fights, keeping alive plans for a long-awaited showdown later this year.
Whether that’s still a fight the public has been anxiously waiting for is another matter.
Joshua’s evening nearly unraveled before it had a chance to begin.
He was dropped just 20 seconds into the opening round by Kristian Prenga, then found himself on the canvas again before the round was over. It was the kind of start that momentarily had promoters wondering whether another lucrative heavyweight matchup was about to disappear before contracts could even be announced.
Joshua recovered quickly, stopping Prenga in the second round.
But the result raised as many questions as it answered.
If Joshua could dispatch Prenga one round after being dropped twice, it says as much about Prenga as it does Joshua. For one brief round, the previously unknown challenger looked capable of producing one of boxing’s biggest upsets. Moments later, he looked every bit the overmatched opponent many expected.
Joshua deserves credit for keeping his composure and finishing the job.
His chin, however, remains an entirely different conversation.
At this point, comparing it to glass almost feels too generous. Glass can be strengthened. Fine china at least carries some value. Joshua’s durability is beginning to resemble an old adobe clay pot—perfectly functional until the slightest bump sends cracks running in every direction.
That concern isn’t going away.
Meanwhile, Fury’s outing against Mariusz Wach provided little more than seven rounds of work before a stoppage.
It was described by many as a glorified sparring session.
The “sparring session” part was accurate.
The “glorified” part may have been overstating things.
The fight was never in doubt, never particularly compelling and, because it wasn’t televised, offered little evidence that Fury has suddenly rediscovered the form that once made him the division’s most fascinating heavyweight.
It served its purpose.
Nothing more.
Cheerio.
Promoter Eddie Hearn continues to insist the Joshua-Fury fight is signed, legally binding and finally ready to happen.
Forgive boxing fans if they’re reluctant to celebrate.
We’ve heard this before.
For years.
Contracts have been announced, negotiations declared complete and dates discussed, only for another obstacle to appear before anyone ever made the walk to the ring.
Perhaps this time is different. Saudi backing, Netflix involvement and legally binding agreements certainly suggest there’s more substance than previous attempts.
We’ll know for certain when the opening bell rings.
The larger question is whether the fight still carries the significance it once did.
Five years ago, Joshua versus Fury was the defining heavyweight matchup of its era.
Today, it feels more like an overdue appointment.
Outside of the Hertfordshire-versus-Manchester bragging rights—and a healthy dose of British pride—it’s difficult to imagine this matchup generating the same excitement it would have at either fighter’s peak.
It will still draw enormous attention.
Heavyweight boxing always does.
But after Joshua survived two knockdowns against an opponent few expected to threaten him, and Fury completed what amounted to little more than a controlled workout, it’s fair to wonder whether this fight is arriving just a few years too late.
Or, as they might say across the pond…
Bloody hell…what took so long?
