He’s always been a Mentally Fragile Glass Jawed fighter. Don’t let the bodybuilder looks fool you. His Chin is made of fine porcelain China.
I was taken a little bit by surprise when he was so hurt and he just laughed at it before turning it around.
Joshua had a respectable career but not an ATG one. He united titles, defeated top contenders in Parker, Whyte, Povetkin, and Ruiz, and he has one win against an ATG on his record in Wlad, and can possibly add another one with Tyson Fury. Yes Wlad was past his best but he’d still would’ve beaten everyone in the division that night he faced AJ save Joshua and or Fury. AJ won Olympic gold, became heavyweight champ and unified titles. He defeated a string of top fighters and made A LOT of money along the way. He’s had an incredibly successful career for a boxer.
I was thinking something quite similar when watching it. This might be one of the most natural performances Ive seen from AJ. Hard to say if thats due to the level of his opponent, or if AJ is gaining mental proficiency at dealing with offense and adversity. Won't know until he steps up again. However, it appears that if it wasnt just the opponent, and he has indeed leveled up in his mental game, it may be too little too late, as while that was undoubtedly a critical piece he needed earlier in his career, the fact is the shots he was hit with tonight, and their effect on his cognition, likely shuts the door on any hope of him ever beating a top fighter again.
Prenega might be a murderous puncher for all we know. Stopping 20 cans in 20 fights doesn't tell us much, but Joshua being caught by a vicious uppercut right at the opening bell and fighting his way through to a highlight reel stoppage is a fear. He hasn't been in the ring against serious opponent since 2024.