We know Joshua because timid after Ruiz knocked him upside the head in their first bout, but think back before then when Joshua was an actual warrior who wasn't afraid to be aggressive with fast combinations. How would that Joshua stack against the best of the 60's and 70's? I think he would've had issues against the special guys like Foreman, Liston, Ali, Holmes, etc. but I think he'd beat the other guys who are still pretty good such as Norton. What do you think?
He just wasn't as good as we believed he was when he looked like the new kid on the block. Pre Ruiz AJ just means he hasn't been clocked yet. Norton broke Ali's jaw, that shot lands on AJ how does he react to that kind of trauma?
Norton was a stylistic nightmare for Ali, but all that awkwardness doesn’t work against punchers. I think AJ beats most of the crop but would probably lose to the kings of the hill like Ali, Holmes, and Foreman.
Ken Norton gave Muhammad Ali fits and fought Larry Holmes on even terms, is only three inches shorter than AJ, and only has 2 inch shorter reach. AJ has virtually no size advantage to speak of; Norton beats the unholy hell out of him.
I like to see how Pre-Ruiz Joshua would've done against Usyk, Wilder, and Fury. Still wouldn't mind to see current Joshua fight Wilder or Fury now.
I think Wilder would have smashed any version of Joshua and done his confidence at least as much damage as Ruiz did. The difference is Joshua wouldn't have succeed in the rematch against Wilder like he was able to against Ruiz. So it may have rendered him completely useless.
Same thing, someone from the 60's or 70's does to him what Ruiz did ,, and I suspect in far more brutal fashion.
He loses to the big 4 if they are close to prime. Probably beats Shavers, Quarry and Young. Lyle and Norton are toss ups. Beats all the rest.
"I'm not a 12 round fighter Look at me, I'm a new breed of heavyweight, all them heavyweights; Mike Tyson, Sonny Liston, Jack Dempsey - they say 'he doesn't throw combinations like Rocky Marciano,' because I'm not ******* 14-stone, that's why, I'm 18-stone I'm heavy. "It's hard work, this guy here is a phenomenal talent, we're going to cheer for him three times. Well how many belts have you got now bro, five? As I said, I was studying Ukraine and all of the champions that have come from your amazing country, I've never been there but at the same time what's happening there is not nice. HIP HIP" - Olufemi Bodybuilder Joshua
Beats for sure: Terrell Cooper Chuvalo Bugner Wepner Williams Patterson Struggles with but he could beat: Lyle Norton (a dozen times smarter and more skilled) Quarry (might take Joshua to school at his best) Mathis Shavers Bonavena (has some similarities to Ruiz, but is smaller) Liston (could go either way, slightly favor Joshua if he boxes) Loses to: Ali (too fast) Holmes (too well rounded and skilled) Foreman Frazier (even worse than Ruiz)