Which is a bigger shame, never seeing prime AJ vs prime Fury or prime AJ vs prime Wilder?

Wilder v AJ.

It would have been for undisputed with two big KO artists. I can't believe they dropped the ball on this one.

 

When is prime Fury?

 

...when he wins convincingly?

 

The question asked which was the bigger fight. I don't see how that isn't Fury - Joshua. That being said, Wilder - Joshua would almost surely have been the more enjoyable, entertaining bout.

 

If Wilder didn’t get washed up fighting Fury 3x, he would have destroyed AJ

 

It’s AJ vs Wilder for me by a long shot.

Besides, I truly believe that the version of AJ that beat Wlad beats the version of Fury that beat Wlad.

 

Joshua v Wilder any day, and I say that as a Brit.

It would have had a Mayweather v Hatton feel over here. 10,000 of us came over to watch Joshua fight Miller/Ruiz so imagine how many would have travelled for Wilder when they were seen as 1 & 2 in the division, both unbeaten, both big punchers, and for undisputed.

 

Couldn't care less about lineal...

What's more important is Joshua-Fury would've been competitive and it would've settled who was #2 of the era, behind Usyk.

Joshua-Wilder would have ensured Joshua went down in history as one of the weakest undisputed champions, and it would've annihilated Wilders dodgy chin... But Wilder would only have had a punchers chance at most.

 

If they fought before Fury came back the history would probably remember Fury as the lineal champion who claimed fizzled out during his inactivity and the winner of AJ vs Wilder would have become the new lineal champion.

 

Wilder v Joshua for Undisputed was the biggest fight and then when Fury beat Wilder obviously Fury v Joshua became the biggest fight . And to this day Hearn still says Wilder is too risky a fight for Joshua !

 

The hardest thing is to become a "new lineal champion"; it is easier to become the undisputed champion.
In almost 150 years of HW history there have only been 3 "new lineal champions" (when the old lineal champion retired undefeated): Schmelling, Charles, and Wlad. There are many more undisputed champions.
If Usyk retires undefeated in this situation, we will have the opportunity to decide who will be the new lineal champion.

I don't care who the best British HW is. But my reasoning is more valid than yours. You dispute the title "the man who beat the man".
And finally, I'll quote someone else to you two:

I guess AJ Vs. Wilder more attractive fight than Aj. Vs. Fury, but not historically significant.
Wilder's 10 title defenses are something that really...

 

Mmm... AJ-Wilder would almost certainly end by KO, very likely Wilder - both had big power and could be stopped by guys with less power than the other.

AJ-Fury almost certainly wouldn't have ended by KO - Fury's chin and recovery were good enough that it'd be difficult for AJ to stop him, especially as he could be cautious about waiting for the right moment (which might well not come) and Fury's power wasn't enough to stop a fighter with an okay chin who wasn't levels below and could be bulldozed recklessly.

It's all about what would be most competitive and best to watch, for me.

Up to a point... But lineal is on the line every single time the current lineal fights, if there is an agreed upon lineal at the time... Being the best of your nation from an era might be decided on one fight or series out of multiple years.

I just don't value lineal that highly.

 

Uusually the undisputed champion is the lineal champion. Only 9 lineal champions weren't undisputed since the birth of the sanctioning bodies: Ali the third time, Holmes, Spinks, Holyfield the second time, Moorer, Foreman, Briggs, Wlad and Fury. From the 3 belt era onwards, it's sometimes easier to become lineal than undisputed. Undisputed gives you an universal recognition right away, but sometimes it's easier to gain that (like Wlad did) than collect all the belts.

 

Who was the undisputed champion without being a lineal champion?

 

Only Mike Tyson from August 87 to June 88.