If AJ was as badly hurt and as tired as people make out.....Then people need to be consistent. For him to find the combination ending with the uppercut which turned it around, shows that AJ has some real natural talent, to find it when so hurt and tired. AJ's lack of experience helped him against Klitschko. It was the Usyk fight which destroyed him, not anything else. Because it was at that point he realised he couldn't be the best in the Division. The Ruiz fight can happen in any HW bout.
Joshua survived because of Wlad's psychological and tactical flaws, carrying him for 5 rounds. Other top 41 year old HW punchers would have thrown caution to the wind and took AJ out (or got stopped trying), as Ruiz and Dubois did. AJ became more cautious post-Wlad but the Ruiz loss was the critical point. It was the worst loss in HW history from an aesthetic perspective, and Ruiz never stopped anyone in his career above journeyman level, barring AJ.
Again there's no consistency to your argument. If Wlad was too "Psychologically and tactically flawed" to throw....How did he hurt Joshua and put him down? (The answer is by throwing).
After hurting Joshua badly with a single shot Wlad was more or less content to box to a decision rather than seriously unloading on AJ and risking gassing or being countered. This was a massive blunder which old man Foreman, Ortiz and Zhang would not have made. It's even less forgivable as Wlad could go 12 and still get robbed in London vs the golden boy. And against a 27 year old, there was a high chance of Joshua recovering. Wlad needed to let his hands go and get rid of his badly hurt, inexperienced, A-side opponent but lacked the nerve and the confidence.
The thing is, none of them hurt that AJ. So they wouldn't have him badly hurt in the first place. If they did, they probably go for it more.
The Zhang who KO'd Wilder would have a very good chance. Maybe Foreman too, though era comparisons are more difficult. Ortiz's punch resistance was likely too compromised at that stage, so it's less likely. It doesnt matter whether they would have probably badly hurt AJ or not though for the hypothetical to work. It's more about their capacity and willingness to finish AJ when he is badly hurt. They all have it imo, Wlad did not. It undermines the narrative that Wlad lost mainly based on age, because he long had this psychological and tactical tendency toward caution.
lol A dark horse would be 41 year old Tony Thompson. I dont know if he had the power to badly hurt AJ (although Ruiz did...) but assuming he did, he would do his best to relentlessly work AJ over, just as he did Price.
Zhang was in better shape vs Wilder, 10 lbs lighter and fully focused, not high on his own supply after 2 big wins. Parker also beat Ruiz by MD (though never hit the canvas, whereas Zhang put him down x2) then Ruiz beat Joshua. Triangles do not work here. Joshua is easier to hurt and stop than a more durable, moving Parker.
Ortiz and Zhang were clinical finishers for their faults, Foreman is on another level from even that. All three of them were old dogs who wouldn’t let go if they got a bite. Put Povetkin in here too, that Whyte knockout is a hall of famer, the little shimmy and how he pops up like a jack in the box good night.
People who have a problem with this never watched the fight or do not understand what Vitali did in the corner either. Wlad was overconfident in his boxing and Vitali coached him to play it safe. It was absolute stupidity from 'K2'. And the fact they thought they'd get the decision in a close fight is more stupidity and egomania. Wlad needed the finish and failed to go for it at the best time to go for it, instead of leaping LH's when he was gassed himself. He especially needed it because he was behind when normally he won every round and had time to peck away and land the KO RH eventually. This time he had to take his chance. Wlad let the opponent off the hook literally and then paid the price. Compare this to how Ruiz kept coming at AJ and we can see that Wlad made a bad decision when he could have ended the abominable AJ show that night and shown us his special flashcard. As for VItali's power, it is blatantly obvious he was underpowered for a 6'6-ish man and watching him trying to get KO's was excruciating. His KO percentage means nothing as they were all late attrition stoppages basically. Even lewis called him an attrition puncher. Wlad dropped or took people out with single shots, his power was completely different.