Fans are buzzing over never-before-seen video of Anthony Joshua’s corner after he was knocked down in the first round.
A never-before-seen clip has come out showing the first round of Anthony Joshua’s fight against Kristian Prenga.
Joshua made an emotional and much-awaited return to boxing on Saturday night. It was his first fight in seven months after a car crash tragically took the lives of two of his close friends, Kevin Latif Ayodele and Sina Ghami.
The fight against Prenga was thought to be the perfect warm-up before his big matchup with Tyson Fury later this year.
Fury had just won easily in the seventh round against Mariusz Wach at a private event in Thailand the day before, and many expected Joshua to have a similar result.
But things didn’t start well for Joshua in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. He was knocked down just 20 seconds into the fight after a strong right hand from Prenga.
He got knocked down a second time at the end of the first round, putting his upcoming fight with Fury in question.
After that tough start, the 36-year-old bounced back in the second round with a powerful combo that sent Prenga out of the ring and ended the fight.
Joshua said after the fight, “I realized they were starting fast, not planning to box all 12 rounds. They wanted to take me out early. So in the second round, I told myself to do the same. Why wait 12 rounds to break them down? I’ve got power, might as well use it. I learned a lot in that moment.”
After his quick comeback and win, some people, including Simon Jordan, questioned how Joshua managed it. But unseen footage showed what really helped him.
When Joshua was knocked down twice, he got a powerful pep talk during the break from Sergey Lapin, the sports director and manager for Oleksandr Usyk.
Lapin told him, “AJ, listen, brother. Stay in the ring, please. Don’t go down.” That encouragement clearly worked, as Joshua quickly delivered the fight-ending blow afterward.
Fans on X praised the message. One wrote, “Credit to Sergey for giving AJ simple, clear advice in the corner.” Another said, “Fantastic motivation.”
However, not everyone agreed. Some called the corner’s advice “terrible” or “ridiculous,” with one joking they seemed like they were acting in a drama series.
Considering everything Joshua has gone through mentally and physically in the last seven months, his win was even more impressive. Eddie Hearn, chairman of Matchroom Boxing, admitted he worried Joshua might have returned too soon, especially after seeing him fall twice and watch his mood in the changing room.
He said, “I wondered if we made a mistake coming back this week. Boxing helped him deal with his grief, but was he ready? At one point, I thought it was over.”
Joshua’s fight against Fury is now expected in November, though details like the exact date and venue are still being worked out.