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Anthony Joshua has nothing to prove and should think long and hard about carrying on

Our man Barry McGuigan runs the rule over Anthony Joshua following his unconvincing comeback win over Kristian Prenga before taking on Tyson Fury

[Anthony Joshua]

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AJ was knocked down twice in the first round(Image: Matchroom Boxing/Getty Images)

Saddened but not surprised was my reaction when Anthony Joshua sank to the canvas 20 seconds into the fight in Saudi Arabia.

Yes he got to his feet and won in the second. The kind of power he carries is the last thing that leaves you. Punch resistance is another matter.

Once that goes, it never comes back. It only ever gets worse. This is the stage Joshua is at. He is vulnerable and his opponents know it.

Tyson Fury would have been watching those first-round knockdowns and rubbing his hands. Before the Kristian Prenga bout I had Joshua favourite against Fury. That dynamic has now shifted. Everything would have to go right for Joshua to win.

This is a brutal business and if I were Joshua, I would be thinking hard about carrying on. I would not want to enter the ring knowing I was not at my best.

Joshua has nothing to prove to anybody. He has been a vibrant, positive presence in British boxing, won Olympic gold and the world heavyweight championship. And he certainly doesnt need the money.

However, I realise how difficult it would be for him to step down at this stage from a fight of such magnitude. It has been brewing for the best part of a decade and is important for the whole boxing economy.

Fury was far from convincing himself, labouring to victory 24 hours earlier in Thailand against a 46-year-old Mariusz Wach, who was annihilated by Moses Itauma. Wach just got tired in the end.

You would have worried for Fury prior to the Prenga shock. The truth is they are both fading rapidly.

[Anthony Joshua]

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Anthony Joshua knocked out Kristian Prenga(Image: Getty Images)

Inactivity will not have helped Joshua, who had fought only once in 22 months and, of course, was involved in a tragic accident only last December, which took a huge emotional toll.

The only way Joshua prevails against Fury is to stand on him and back him up. If he lands early and big, its over, no matter how suspect his chin.

This is the dilemma. If you have to be aggressive to beat an opponent you are more likely to walk on to a counter. Fury is likely to keep his distance early, tee off his jab then look to send a right straight down the pipe.

Alternatively, having noted Joshuas increased vulnerability, Fury could just go for it like he did in the second Deontay Wilder fight. Either way its not going the distance, that much is clear.

Follow Barry on X at @ClonesCyclone @McGuigans_Gym

[Barry McGuigan]

Barry McGuigan

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