Tyson Fury v Anthony Joshua fight closer but hurdles still to clear

Joshua’s comeback against Prenga was one of the bravest performances of his career but it also highlighted familiar vulnerabilities. Dropped twice by a heavyweight competing at world level for the first time, he somehow recovered to produce a dramatic stoppage victory.

It also came under extraordinary circumstances.

Joshua was fighting for the first time since surviving the car crash in Nigeria that claimed the lives of his close friends Sina Ghami and Latif ‘Latz’ Ayodele. The emotional burden was obvious afterwards as he struggled to speak during his post-fight interview.

His recent results and performances do raise eyebrows. Since the end of 2023, Joshua has beaten Otto Wallin, former UFC champion Francis Ngannou, YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul and the unknown Prenga. The last time he faced a top-level operation, he suffered a damaging knockout defeat by Daniel Dubois.

Fury has not looked untouchable either. Before comfortably beating Wach, he outpointed Arslanbek Makhmudov in April but had previously lost back-to-back world title fights to Oleksandr Usyk. His split-decision win over Ngannou in 2023 also came after he was knocked down by the MMA star.

Perhaps the question is no longer who is the better heavyweight but who has declined the least.

Joshua still possesses knockout power but Fury’s movement, ring IQ and adaptability make him the favourite.