Boxing figures question Joshua's readiness after Prenga win

Former unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua secured a dramatic comeback victory over Kristian Prenga in Saudi Arabia on July 25, but the performance has sparked intense debate about his readiness for a long-awaited superfight with Tyson Fury. Joshua was knocked down twice in the first round before rallying to stop Prenga in the second, marking his first fight since a fatal car accident in Nigeria last December that claimed the lives of two of his close friends.

The win keeps Joshua on course for a contracted showdown with Fury, who himself won a warm-up bout against Mariusz Wach in Thailand on July 24. The two victories were billed as final tune-ups for the all-British clash, which has been mooted to take place in November, with London's Wembley Stadium and New York's Madison Square Garden cited as potential venues.

However, the nature of Joshua's win has led prominent figures in boxing to question whether he should proceed with the high-stakes fight. Heavyweight legend Lennox Lewis expressed deep reservations, directly asking if Joshua still belongs in the ring. Lewis pointed to the knockdowns from a relative novice as evidence of decline, suggesting the punishment from...