“I think if he gets knocked down or he looks too stiff or he doesn’t look fluid enough or he doesn’t look like the destroyer he is, I think he’s got a massive opportunity to project himself towards the Fury fight in my view here against an opponent who there’s no one really on the record who is anywhere near the level that AJ has fought,” said Gareth to talkSPORT Boxing.

Davies sees Prenga as an opponent Joshua should overwhelm. A convincing stoppage would reinforce his standing before negotiations for a Fury fight, while an uninspiring showing could raise fresh questions about where he is in his career after months away from the ring.

Tom Gray, however, wasn’t convinced the performance would change anything. He argued the matchup is too one-sided to draw meaningful conclusions, saying even if Joshua were knocked down and struggled to a decision, the commercial appeal of a Fury fight would remain intact as long as he won.

The differing opinions reflect two ways of viewing Joshua’s return. Davies believes perception matters and that Joshua has a chance to remind fans why he’s still one of boxing’s biggest attractions. Gray sees the Fury fight as so lucrative that the performance itself is almost irrelevant unless Joshua suffers the unthinkable and loses.