Anthony Joshua has shrugged off suggestions he has lost his punch resistance, despite having to get off the deck twice against Kristian Prenga.
Joshua survived two first round knockdowns before battling back to viciously knock out Prenga in the second round in Saudi Arabia on Saturday.
The 36-year-old suffered the 10th and 11th knockdowns of his career, but dismissed claims his punch resistance has gone when quizzed in the post-fight press conference.
“I got back up,” he said.
“That happened in what the first 20 seconds of round one?
“Got back up, took a beating, stood the storm and came back in round two.
“Boxing is not pretty.
“That is resistance.
“Resistance is spirit. Resistance is durability. Resistance is everything combined.
“It’s not just one thing.
“I was in there with someone who has knocked out 20 people.
“He’s a strong guy and he hit me with a good uppercut.”
View this post on Instagram
Joshua’s long overdue showdown with Tyson Fury looked on the brink of going up in smoke, only for the Watford man to hurl himself back from the jaws of defeat and send the Albanian crashing to the canvas and unable to beat referee Luis Pabon’s count.
Fury, who halted Mariusz Wach in seven rounds a day earlier in Thailand, was not in attendance at the Jeddah Superdome.
The pair have signed to fight each other and their long-awaited clash is expected to take place in November, although a location is unknown.
‘AJ’ called out the 37-year-old after his dramatic victory over Prenga.
“Have we got Tyson Fury in the room?” he said post-fight.
“Is he here?
“I’ll rip his heart out.
“I respect everything he’s done and everything he’s achieved.”
Joshua won his first fight since knocking out Jake Paul in December and following a fatal car crash, which killed two of his close friends and left him with minor injuries.
Fury insisted he had doubts over his long-time rival’s desire to fight him.
“The biggest test of it all is how big his balls are.
“I think he’s a big s***house. In Tottenham in front of 70,000 people, he never had the guts to get in the ring and face me.
“Let’s see if he ever does. I’m not convinced.”
