Anthony Joshua prepares for his high-stakes heavyweight return against Kristian Prenga tonight as promoter Eddie Hearn warns the former champion still has everything to prove. Joshua needs a dominant performance to secure a mega-fight with Tyson Fury.
Eddie Hearn is refusing to hype up his star man blindly. The Matchroom chief insists that the big Brit must prove he still belongs at the top table before anyone talks about Tyson Fury. Hearn pulled no punches when evaluating Joshua’s recent ring outings. Speaking to iFL TV, Hearn questioned: “AJ got stopped by Daniel Dubois, came back, fought Jake Paul. That’s it. Who’s to say AJ’s the same fighter that he once was?”
That loss to Dubois left massive scars. And beating Jake Paul did little to answer the real questions about his elite chin and stamina. Tonight, AJ must deliver a clinical beatdown in the ring. Anything less than a sparkling knockout will leave fans and critics doubting his ability to mix it with the true giants of the division.
Hearn wants to see total dominance before making loud claims about a Tyson Fury mega-fight. He stated: “I’ve always believed AJ knocks him out. I’m absolutely 100% convinced. But we’ve still got to prove ourselves,”
The promoter made it crystal clear that he will not protect Joshua from criticism if he puts in a sloppy display. Hearn said: “If AJ goes in tomorrow night and doesn’t look sharp, I won’t sit here and say, ‘Wow, he was unbelievable.’ I’d say, ‘Look, he’s been through a lot, but he didn’t look a million dollars tonight.’”
Fury remains the ultimate dream match. While Hearn took shots at Fury’s recent display against Mariusz Wach in Thailand, he respects the Gypsy King’s ability to pull off big results. He admitted: “He’s done it so many times in his career, proved me wrong half a dozen times in fights that I thought he’d lose, but I just don’t believe if AJ can look how I hope he looks tomorrow night, he will go into this fight as a massive favorite.”
The pressure is fully on Joshua tonight. He cannot afford a slip-up against Prenga. A slow or sluggish victory destroys the momentum needed for the Fury blockbuster. Only a sharp, devastating finish keeps the dream alive.
