Joshua Promises Explosive Start Against Fury After Surviving Brutal Knockdowns

Anthony Joshua has declared that he is targeting a first-round knockout when he faces Tyson Fury in their highly anticipated heavyweight showdown at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff on December 11.

According to Bush Radio Academy, Joshua said his approach to heavyweight boxing changed following his dramatic encounter with Kristian Prenga in Saudi Arabia on July 25.

The former two-time world champion was knocked down twice during the opening round against Prenga, who landed a right uppercut within the first 20 seconds before flooring Joshua again later in the round.

Joshua recovered from the difficult opening to stop the Albanian in the second round with a combination that was eventually finished by a right hand.

The victory came in Joshua’s first fight since surviving a fatal car accident in December, and he said the experience against Prenga forced him to reassess his mentality inside the ring.

“The Prenga fight woke me up. It made me realise my motto that boxing is not a sport. Boxing is a fight; never lose sight of that,” Joshua said.

Joshua explained that he had initially planned to gradually break Prenga down over several rounds but now intends to adopt a much more aggressive approach against Fury.

“I cannot go in there thinking I am going to break this fighter down over the course of the rounds. I am going to take you out in round one if I can,” he said.

Joshua enters the bout with a professional record of 30 wins and four defeats, including 27 victories by knockout.

Fury, meanwhile, boasts a record of 36 wins, two defeats and one draw, with 25 of his victories coming by knockout.

The British heavyweights have been linked with a blockbuster meeting for several years, with multiple attempts to stage the fight previously failing to materialise.

Their December 11 encounter at the Principality Stadium will finally bring the long-awaited rivalry into the ring, with the event scheduled to stream on Netflix as part of a Ring show.

Fury enters the contest after stopping Mariusz Wach in Thailand, with the upcoming bout set to be contested for the vacant WBA “super” heavyweight title.

With both fighters possessing significant knockout power, Joshua’s declaration has added further anticipation to a fight that has already generated enormous interest among boxing fans.

The former champion will now look to turn his renewed aggressive mindset into action when he finally shares the ring with Fury in Cardiff.