The surroundings resemble a Gilded Age estate rather than a boxing gym. After what happened in his last outing, plenty of boxing fans would probably rather see him working toward a legitimate opponent.
Joshua needs a proper tune-up.
Kristian Prenga was supposed to serve that purpose, but he created more questions than answers. Prenga dropped Joshua twice in the opening round before the bell ended the round and gave the former two-time heavyweight champion a full minute to recover.
Strangely, Prenga offered virtually no offense in the second round after having Joshua in serious trouble. Joshua regrouped and scored the knockout, but many fans came away from the bout saying he looked shot.
Fury did not offer much reassurance on his side either. He looked awful against 46-year-old Mariusz Wach. Selling Joshua-Fury strictly on name recognition is easy. Convincing the public that both men are still elite heavyweights is another matter.
So give Joshua one more bout.
Bakhodir Jalolov would be my choice.
Standing 6-foot-7, Jalolov has the size to give Joshua useful work before meeting the 6-foot-9 Fury. He is also dangerous enough to make Joshua prove the Prenga scare was merely an off night.
Fans unfamiliar with Jalolov may wonder, Why not?
Anyone who remembers what the two-time Olympic gold medalist did to Richard Torrez Jr. in the amateurs might have a different reaction entirely: Keep Joshua away from him.
That is precisely why the match makes sense.
Another opponent brought in merely to fall over will not convince anyone that Joshua is back. Jalolov would force him to deal with a massive southpaw who can box and punch.
If Jalolov is considered too dangerous for Joshua before Fury, that raises an uncomfortable issue of its own.
What exactly is Joshua getting ready for?
