Do you think Anthony Joshua would be a top 10 heavyweight boxer if he competed in the 1970s?

I feel AJ would have at least a top 5 heavy during any period of the 70`s but many feel AJ is a fraud so would he have even made the top 10 during the 70`s? (pick any year during the 70`s you find interesting).

 

Yes.

 

Ruiz Jr is Joshua's father in the 70's era, he would have many parents

 

Top 15 imo

 

He'd be carrying around Larry Holmes jock strap! Overrated damned bodybuilder!

 

He'd be a top 5 heavyweight and would probably become champion at some point IMO

 

Name 14 heavies from the 70`s that could have beat AJ?

 

He`s a lot bigger than Marciano though.

 

Um yeah. I think this is kind of a no brainer honestly.

Consider who the Ring's Top 10 heavyweights were in 1975:
Muhammad Ali, Champion

1. Ken Norton
2. Jimmy Young
3. Joe Frazier
4. George Foreman
5. Ron Lyle
6. Earnie Shavers
7. Duane Bobick
8. Joe Bugner
9. Chuck Wepner
10. Randy Neumann

I see 4 guys at the bottom of that list that Joshua would beat with ease. He beats Shavers convincingly too as long as he stays away from the right hand bombs; he beats Shavers 2 out of 3 at least imho. Lyle is where it gets interesting. Tough to predict that one confidently. But even though Frazier and Foreman both wax AJ, AJ actually could have a chance against Norton and Young as well.

How about 1978?
Muhammad Ali, Champion

1. Larry Holmes
2. Ken Norton
3. Leon Spinks
4. Ron Lyle
5. Jimmy Young
6. Kallie Knoetze
7. Alfredo Evangelista
8. Gerrie Coetzee
9. Ossie Ocasio
10. Domingo D'Elia

AJ probably beats that version of Ali, Norton, Spinks, Young etc. Obviously Holmes would whip him, and Coetzee could lob a bomb at him, but hell, I'm obsessed with boxing and I've never heard of Domingo D'Elia until right now.

TLDR: Yes Anthony Joshua would be a top 10 heavyweight. The 1970s were the high water mark for heavyweight boxing, but Joshua is still good enough to beat guys like Duane Bobick, Alfredo Evangelista, Jimmy Ellis, and Henry Cooper. Joe Roman and Chuck Wepner both made it into the Top 10 at certain points in their career.

 

I think Joshua has a tough time with Joe Bugner in the 1975 ratings, and it's 50/50 with Shavers. He can't handle the top 5.

 

AJ sucks.

 

I see 5-6 guys on those lists that Lamon Brewster probably beats/stops....... Unfortunately, ya, he probably would be top 5 in that era or at least hovering right around it.

 

I disagree about Bugner but I do agree that the top 5 is generally too much. The larger point is that Joshua would definitely spend the bulk of the decade somewhere in the top ten.

 

Of course he would. He'd be near the top providing we take him as he is now and not how he would be back then.

 

Overall top 10 from the 70s, probably in the 7-10 range.

it’s easy for him to be top 10 in any single given year.