Kristian Prenga has issued a stern response to suggestions that his fight with Anthony Joshua was fixed, after losing to the British star by knockout on Saturday in Saudi Arabia.
The Albanian unknown dropped 'AJ' twice in the first round, threatening to derail Joshua's long-awaited fight with Tyson Fury, but then eased off the gas in round two and suffered a knockout defeat.
The nature of the 35-year-old's performance led some fans to speculate the bout was fixed, but Prenga told SveaCasino: 'Completely false, and irresponsible for anyone to suggest it. AJ and I have integrity, we would never engage in this stupidity.'
Prenga explained: 'I felt I needed to preserve energy and catch my breath, so I thought I would start slow [in round two] and replenish my energy. Unfortunately, it didn't happen, and that slower pace allowed AJ to flip control of the fight to him.'
He also suggested that sickness during his fight camp might have affected his performance.