Eddie Hearn reveals what Anthony Joshua did that sparked concern before Kristian Prenga fight

Eddie Hearn has revealed what Anthony Joshua did in the changing room that sparked concern before his fight with Kristian Prenga.

Seven months after being involved in a fatal car crash in Nigeria, Joshua returned to the ring on Saturday night against Prenga.

The Briton was odds-on favourite to secure victory over the Albanian, knowing that a triumph in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, would tee up his long-awaited fight with Tyson Fury.

On Friday (July 24), Fury bossed Matiusz Wach in a low-key, non-televised bout in Thailand, securing a seventh-round TKO against the Polish veteran.

Joshua wanted to produce a similar performance and avoid any drama, but 20 seconds into the fight, he was almost on the verge of a shocking defeat.

Prenga sensationally rocked him with a huge uppercut, and was then knocked to the canvas again later in the round.

The two-time heavyweight champion appeared to be on the ropes, but produced a stunning second-round comeback, catching him with a jab before his final shot sent his opponent crashing to the ground.

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A blockbuster fight against Fury looked in jeopardy before he turned it on with a knockout, and Eddie Hearn has admitted that Joshua may have come back "too early".

"What was going through my mind, honestly, and I thought that this week was ‘have we come back too early?’, as I could tell in the changing room, he started looking down at this in the introduction," the Matchroom Boxing Chairman said.

"You start thinking ‘have we made a mistake here?’ Because I know boxing helped him through the grief, but was he even ready to return? And that’s what I was thinking, and I was also thinking it’s over."

Hearn, who has promoted Joshua for 13 years, could tell he wasn't fully 100 per cent in the changing room and was worried that his clash against Fury was "over" after being knocked to the canvas twice.

Eddie Hearn reveals extent of Anthony Joshua's injuries

Joshua has had to overcome an incredible amount of grief to return to the ring after losing his close friends, Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele, during that fatal car crash in Nigeria.

"It's more than punch power. That was spirit, that was Latz, that was Sina, that was the families. It hurts to even talk about it. It has been tough," the 36-year-old said.

He choked up and stepped away from the microphone, before adding: "It's my brothers. I don't want to talk about it."

It's been an emotionally and physically taxing period for Joshua, who was lucky to cheat death in December, but did sustain some painful injuries in the process.

"Even with everything that he’s been through, no one will give him grace," Hearn said. "No one will go, ‘but he had 24 breaks in his ribs, he lost his two best friends’. They’ll just say ‘he’s finished, he’s shot’."

Joshua required exhaustive rehab to ensure he could fight again, making an incredible recovery to come back seven months later, with all eyes now firmly on his November showdown against Fury.