Eddie Hearn Admits He Doubted Anthony Joshua Fight Before KO Win

Matchroom’s chairman says Kristian Prenga’s knockout record sparked late concerns before Joshua survived two knockdowns and delivered a second-round stoppage in Jeddah.

Anthony Joshua answered Eddie Hearn’s late fight-week doubts by climbing off the canvas twice to stop Kristian Prenga in the second round. Hearn admitted Prenga’s knockout record made him question the matchup before the opening bell.

Hearn said he began having second thoughts during fight week after looking closely at Prenga’s résumé. While he never viewed the Albanian as a genuine world-level contender, he believed Joshua had to beat dangerous punchers if another fight with Tyson Fury and a heavyweight title shot remained the destination.

“I’ll be honest with you, the last couple of days I was thinking, ‘Why did we pick a guy with 20 knockouts?'” Hearn told The Stomping Ground. “I’m not saying he’s an elite world-level fighter, but I still stand by it. If you’re going to beat Tyson Fury and fight for the world heavyweight title, you have to be beating people like that.”

The opening round did little to ease those concerns. Joshua was dropped twice as Prenga attacked with bad intentions, forcing the former champion to gather himself before the bell.

“When he went down in the first round, for a moment I felt that perhaps we had returned to the ring too soon. However, boxing was part of his recovery journey. It gave him a purpose and focus that helped him overcome a period filled with grief and pain. When he was dropped twice in the opening round, it appeared that his career was on the line, but he gathered every ounce of strength he had, got back up, and continued fighting as he has always done,” Hearn said.

Joshua rebuilt behind his jab in the second round and gradually took control. Once he found his distance, the momentum shifted quickly.

“I felt as long as AJ could get through the first round and get his legs back, the longer the fight went on, it was in his favor because Prenga’s never been in this type of a fight,” Hearn said.

The prediction proved accurate. Joshua’s timing sharpened, his punch selection improved and he detonated the right hand that ended the contest.

“AJ has incredible knockout power. It doesn’t matter if he’s hurt. He has the ability to take you out with one punch.”

The victory keeps Joshua’s comeback moving toward bigger heavyweight fights, but Hearn’s comments offered a rare look at the uncertainty behind the scenes before the opening bell. Joshua showed the power remains elite. Against the division’s leading names, rebuilding the defensive discipline that deserted him early will be just as important.

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