Duke McKenzie says Anthony Joshua’s punch resistance has now gone

British boxing great Duke McKenzie believes Anthony Joshua has lost the ability to withstand heavy punches after the former world champion was knocked down twice by Kristian Prenga last month.

Joshua recovered from the two first-round knockdowns to stop the Albanian in the second round. The performance has raised fresh questions about his durability as he prepares to face Tyson Fury later this year.

McKenzie said Joshua now appears more vulnerable when he is hit, with his legs and balance failing alongside his ability to absorb shots. The three-division world champion based his view on Joshua’s recent difficulties rather than questioning the 35-year-old’s power or finishing ability.

The Prenga fight came after Joshua stopped Jake Paul in December. Paul connected with only 16 punches in that contest, but Joshua had earlier suffered a five-round stoppage against Daniel Dubois in September 2024 while challenging for the IBF heavyweight title.

That defeat to Dubois was followed by a comparatively straightforward victory over Paul, before the knockdowns against Prenga provided another sign of concern around Joshua’s defence. He still ended the latest fight inside two rounds, but the early trouble has become the main focus of the assessment of his form.

McKenzie has personal experience of becoming more susceptible to stoppages late in a career. He was knocked out three times during a 46-fight professional record, with two of those defeats coming in his final three bouts against Steve Robinson and Santiago Rojas Alcantara. The loss to Rojas Alcantara, in 1998, was his last professional fight.