Kristian Prenga, though haunted by regret, insists he was 'not for sale' against Anthony Joshua

Kristian Prenga has been assessing his future at home in Albania after nearly springing one of the great heavyweight shocks.

Prenga dropped Anthony Joshua twice in the opening round of their Saudi Arabia showdown on July 31, but was stopped in the second session by the Englishman.

Prenga has not yet brought himself round to watching the whole fight, clearly disappointed that his big moment slipped away.

“To be honest, I was thinking I was going to finish the fight [when he had Joshua in trouble] but in the first round he [Joshua] was holding me and trying to hold me and hold me and I thought I was going to finish him in the first round and my plan is that [to stop him] at the start, first, second or third, you know? And second round, I don’t know what’s happened.”

Prenga flew out of the corner in the first and dropped Joshua in the opening seconds of the bout in Jeddah. 

But when he came out for the second round, Prenga was measured and backed off more.

That allowed the former champion the chance to get a foothold in the fight.

“You know, sometimes when I go in the ring, I just focus on my trainer’s voice,” Prenga explained. “I don’t hear nobody there. And sometimes when I go in the corner he goes to me, ‘Just jab’ and ‘double jab and just control the breathing.’ He [Muhammad Abdul Salaam] doesn’t want me to go [all out]. 

“I don’t know. I don’t talk to my trainer actually after the fight [they have spoken since, though not about the fight]. I say I want to talk later. And maybe he wants to save [Prenga’s engine] because it’s 12 rounds, right? And he says control the breathing, move around, double jab, but I love to go [and attack]. Maybe it’s better just to go [forward]. I can stop him. Maybe second round I finish the fight [if he fought like he did in the first]. 

“And I go the wrong way, I go onto his right hand. It’s not my style to go back. My style is boxing to go forward. Pressure. But God’s plan is for him [Joshua] to win and I am blessed and God bless him because I’m happy with what God brings to me.”

Asked whether there was regret that he changed what he was doing, Prenga admitted: “A lot. A lot. I know if I go [attack], maybe I finish the fight. But, whatever.” 

However, Prenga was quick to admonish those who suggested political forces were at play on the night, thus influencing how he boxed. Both talkSPORT’s outspoken pundit Simon Jordan and Paulie Malignaggi had speculated that Prenga had been influenced to change tact in order for the boxing powerbrokers to keep the proposed money-spinning bout between Joshua and Tyson Fury alive, although both later said they were wrong to imply that notion.

“First thing, I’m not for sale,” Prenga said emphatically. “That’s first thing. I promise you. 

“Second thing, why am I gonna sell the fight?

 If I win, I’m gonna make more money than selling the fight.” 

Prenga also believes Joshua is still one of the world’s best heavyweights, despite not appearing in the top 10 ratings for both The Ring and the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board.

“It’s not true,” said the 35-year-old, who fights out of Edgewater, New Jersey. “Joshua is a great fighter. He has experience. He has power and I know he went through a lot in his life – as we all know. But it’s not an easy fight for Tyson Fury. I promise you.”

Prenga, of course, is more focused on his own future.

He’s now 20-2 (20 KOs). There is talk of a possible deal with Matchroom. He will return to the US in a week or two, but cannot fight for three months because of a medical suspension from the KO.

But, he understands that, even in defeat, he has a stronger position, along with manager Keith Sullivan, at the negotiating table, after what he made Joshua go through. 

“Yes, because before the fight everyone said, ‘Who’s this guy’ and ‘why’s he fighting Joshua.’ ‘He fights nobody. He’s stopped everybody in the first or second round,’” said Prenga. “But now what are they gonna say? I dropped Joshua in the first round, too. Joshua is two-time world champion, Olympic champion, he’s never got dropped in the first round like that. I know I have the power.”