I'd pick Bowe to win, he had a better jab on the outside and better inside game, could box, brawl, do it all really. With that said I don't think he bullies Joshua like other people are saying. Joshua just hits too hard and Bowe's defence wasn't good enough that he wouldn't be getting tagged. I could see a '92 Bowe winning comfortably but having his chin cracked in the process and never being the same. The Holyfield trilogy was enough to ruin him and AJ hits a lot harder than Holyfield. Slight reach advantage for AJ might cause some problems for Bowe too if he can't turn it into a brawl.
Up until the Ruiz fight, it would be back and forth before Bowe stops Joshua in 6-8 rounds. Joshua is just not mentally strong enough to survive the firefight. Post-Ruiz Joshua probably doesn't see the 3rd round.
The people who picked Joshua got added to my ignore list. Don't have any respect for their opinions on boxing if they are coming out with that kind of pick.
I'm going with Bowe. But Bowe didn't really beat anyone impressive except Holyfield. And Holyfield was clearly undersized and underpowered.
This is a very interesting topic - but moreso because of the insight to posters mindsets it gives rather than the fight itself. A lot of people on this site call Joshua “overrated” - and a lot of those same people are those that enormously overrate Bowe. Bowe was a fine heavy, and deserves credit - but so is Joshua. Realistically - as others have pointed out - Bowe never really fought any punchers. He actively and overtly ducked his biggest challenge in Lewis, and he only really shone when he had significant physical advantages over his opponent. Had Joshua been brutalised twice by a fringe contender like the tough Golota, the haters would have a field day. Likewise if he had binned his belt rather than facing Wilder/Fury. Likewise if he avoided punchers and only fought smaller men. I like and respect both fighters, but feel like one is significantly overrated - and it ain’t Joshua.
50/50 fight. I lean slightly towards Bowe to control the fight with his jab, but he never faced a big puncher like AJ who also has good boxing skills and is bigger than him. Looking at how scared to death Herbie Hide was lighting him up in spots, AJ could do it too.