Simon Jordan got teased for his wild Anthony Joshua theory with a funny comparison.
Sergey Lapin has now fired back strongly at Simon Jordan after Jordan hinted at conspiracy theories about Anthony Joshua following his win over Kristian Prenga.
Joshua made his return to the ring on Saturday night in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, seven months after a serious car crash that injured him and tragically took the lives of two close friends, Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele.
The former heavyweight champ was fired up to put on a great show against Prenga, especially after Tyson Fury’s recent win in a behind-closed-doors charity match in Thailand. A win for Joshua would keep his eagerly awaited fight with Fury on track for later this year.
But things didn’t start as expected. Joshua was knocked down twice in the first round, caught by a strong right from Prenga. It was a scary moment for everyone watching.
That’s when Sergey Lapin gave Joshua some motivating words, and the English boxer came back completely different in the second round. He landed a powerful combo that sent Prenga over the ropes, ending the fight in dramatic fashion.
Right after the fight, wild conspiracy theories popped up online, with many saying Prenga let Joshua win. Simon Jordan was one of the loudest voices, suggesting the fight was set up to make as much money as possible.
Jordan wrote on X, “Dropped twice and sets the tempo, how’s that? … Prenga totally different in 2nd. Something not quite right, all designed to rinse maximum amount of money.”
If Joshua had lost, his clash with Fury would have been off for good. But even Prenga’s own team denied these crazy rumors, and now Joshua’s team has too.
Lapin, who is also Oleksandr Usyk’s team director, didn’t hold back when replying to Jordan’s claims. He even compared Jordan’s ideas to a friend of his who believes the Earth is flat.
He said, “What do I think of Simon Jordan’s comments? I suppose they also told Prenga to walk straight into a punch that weighed one-and-a-half tonnes. Everyone’s entitled to their own theories. I have a friend who still believes the Earth is flat and space doesn’t exist. Personally, I’d rather talk about what really happened inside the ring than someone’s imagination.”
The rumors have been shot down, and for Joshua, this win is a huge relief after a tense start. Even promoter Eddie Hearn said Joshua might have come back “too early” after seeing him knocked down twice, but there’s no doubt how happy Joshua is to feel victory again.
Now, all eyes are on his upcoming fight with the ‘Gypsy King’ Tyson Fury. Organizers hope to lock in a date for November, with possible options being the 7th, 14th, 21st, or 28th.
The location is also a big talking point, with Las Vegas and Allegiant Stadium looking like the top choice to host the big event.