Shane Fury says Joshua is shot ahead of potential Fury fight

Two of Anthony Joshua’s last three fights have raised serious concerns about his ability to absorb heavyweight punches, according to Shane Fury. Daniel Dubois knocked Joshua down four times before stopping him in the fifth round, while Kristian Prenga floored him twice in the opening round of their fight last month.

Shane now believes Tyson Fury would hold a clear advantage if the long-delayed all-British fight takes place. He had previously viewed the proposed meeting as evenly matched after Tyson Fury defeated Arslanbek Makhmudov, but Joshua’s struggle against Prenga changed that assessment.

Joshua recovered after the first-round trouble and finished the Prenga fight, showing that his power and ability to put combinations together remain dangerous. Shane’s concern is what happens when Joshua is hit before he can establish his own attacks.

Joshua appeared close to being stopped when the opening round against Prenga ended. His legs looked badly affected, and the second-round recovery did not remove the concerns created by those first three minutes. The danger was particularly notable because Prenga had been brought in for what was expected to be a manageable comeback fight.

Joshua had also won recent bouts against Kubrat Pulev, Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin, Francis Ngannou and Jake Paul without suffering serious damage. Those fights helped create the impression that his durability had returned, but Dubois and Prenga again exposed the vulnerability when opponents landed clean, heavy punches.

Shane also acknowledged that Tyson Fury has declined from the mobile heavyweight who defeated Wladimir Klitschko in 2015. Fury is slower, takes more punishment and may have difficulty maintaining a high pace over 12 rounds, leaving openings for Joshua. The distinction, in Shane’s view, is Fury’s history of recovering after being knocked down, while Joshua’s ability to withstand and recover from a clean punch has become increasingly uncertain.

Joshua still carries enough power to stop Tyson Fury if he lands first and can unload his combinations. Shane’s assessment is that Joshua remains dangerous but has become a slower and more vulnerable fighter, making the first clean connection potentially decisive.