Prenga delivered 'fright of his life' for Hearn in Joshua loss

The Albanian left the Briton on the canvas twice in the first round at the Jeddah Superdome, before a brutal stoppage defeat.

Hand-picked for Joshua's first encounter since his involvement in a fatal car accident, Prenga had arrived as a heavy outsider.

Yet with a record as something of a knockout merchant, Sullivan believed his star left a clear impression on his rivals in defeat.

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Joshua defeats Prenga in dramatic triumph

Watch: 'AJ' survives double knockdown to destroy Albanian

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"Kristian was literally half a punch away from upsetting the entire boxing world," he told The Ring. "I think my guy gave Eddie Hearn the fright of his life.

"I have been saying for weeks that Matchroom miscalculated Prenga and that he was going to shock the world.

"While he didn't get the outcome we desired, I do think we shocked the world because no one anticipated KP's power.

"I'm very proud of him, he's now made a big name for himself and will be back in the mix of major heavyweight fights."

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