Anthony Joshua vs. Prime Evander Holyfield

Prime Evander beats every current HW. If Holyfield was prime and Klitschko was his current age Evander probably beats him too. I don't believe Prime EH could've beat prime Vitali Klit though.

 

Comparisons like this are crazy, just IMO. At the very least it's years and years premature. Holyfield had a career spanning 50+ fights, fighting the best of his era and proving himself as one of them. Anthony Joshua is in the very early stages of his career and is yet to face his first real challenge (although that is obviously happening very soon).

There is absolutely no way you can really make the case that Joshua would beat Holyfield, there's just no evidence to suggest he is that good. He has beaten Dillian Whyte plus a bunch of nobodies pretty much. That's no slight on Joshua either, he is young and I have hope that he will meet all the best heavies in the next few years.

 

Holyfield had problems with big fighters, Foreman was able to catch him alot, Bowe beat him twice and Lewis beat him, I don`t think he knew how to get inside without getting hit, it was different when a fighter had the same reach.

 

Bowe was easier to hit than AJ.

 

When AJ was hurt by Wlad he was still able to block 6 hooks on wobbly legs, Evander will be missing a lot of hooks and getting countered.

 

AJ is better than the version of Tyson that fought Holy, AJ throws a brilliant hook-right cross combo, Tyson started throwing one punch at a time from the Bruno fight.

 

Prime Holyfield? I think EH was at his best at cruiserweight, he had a few great performance and at heavyweight but at cruiserweight he looked at his best to me.

 

Joshua obviously.

 

I'm not sure Joshua could do what Bowe and Lewis did.

Lewis had a better jab and better movement, he was able to keep Evander at a distance for long periods which allowed him to control the pace of the fight and that was against a faded Holyfield. Joshua also hasn't shown any propensity to clinch like Lewis did to control the pace and range a fight is fought at.

If Joshua can't do what Lewis did and keep Evander at arms reach he'll have to do what Bowe did and outfight Evander using his superior size, strength and power. While Joshua has the size, strength and power to do this I don't think he has the work rate or stamina to be able to do that for long.

Evander will have to take some bombs but he always showed a tremendous chin and even when hurt could recover well. I see Holyfield winning a decision.

 

I believe AJ's upside is pretty big. But the fact is prime Lennox Lewis couldn't stop a past it Holy. And their second fight was pretty damn close. We will have to adopt and wait and see until Anthony hits his prime, but there is no question that Evander was better than any of the other present heavyweights.

 

Very logical. Compelling points.

 

Holyfield would have headbutted that bodybuilder into submission. Joshua no match for Holyfield when he stuck to his gameplan.

 

Exactly how I see it. Either way Joshua decides to fight him, there are certain attributes missing that he would need to beat Evander (or at least he hasn't demonstrated them yet).

Based on what I have seen on Joshua he would try to bomb Holyfield out, resulting in him gassing and Holyfield stopping him mid-late rounds.

 

AJ aint more skilled than Bowe mate, its quite clear !