When was Anthony Joshua’s prime?

It's the end of the era for sure. Unless Fury can again come back.

 

I doubt it but you never really know.
Yes it's gonna be the changing of the guard in the next year or so imo.

 

I'd argue having those two losses was a better experience than unifying at 28.

 

Eh, that´s highly debatable. The dude is on a 3 fight win streak, let´s give it some time before making any fair comparisons.

 

This.. He was always either "learning on the job" or mentally "not the same after... (pick fight Klitschko, Ruiz, Usyk)"

The reality is that he was always incredibly overhyped by Eddie Hearn who is the best promoter in boxing right now. Anthony Joshua never had the ability to be up there with Wlad or Lennox.

 

2016-2019. From winning his first title to Ruiz 1, when he had his best run of wins over Wlad, Parker, Povetkin, Takam.

I'm probably not the only one who thought he was maybe coming into a second prime of sorts, but Dubois was always going to be the first big test of that, and AJ failed it woefully.

Really, AJ hasn't had a truly impressive win since Ruiz 1. It changed him. He fought timid in Ruiz 2 and cruised to a boring UD rather than really asserting himself over an obese opponent. Pulev was ancient at that point, and his post-Usyk run was gatekeepers, fringe contenders, and an MMA guy.

Sometimes I wonder if not fighting high-level competition atrophies a fighter. Sure, you take less damage but you also get a bit rusty. Dubois' level of competition in recent years -Miller, Hrgovic, Usyk, AJ - is better than Fury or AJ's, and he's grown as a fighter because of it.

 

Ruiz II to Usyk II was probably his best. He fought too stupidly before that and reverted back to his old mental state on Saturday, but with worse confidence. The Usyk loses were just because he was never as good as Usyk.

 

It's annoying that if Fury had just a little more discipline he would have beat Usyk. Usyk's career discipline and composure enabled him to triumph....Fury will make it up in the rematch.

 

2017-2019

 

This is the correct answer.

Joshua effectively said it himself after the Wlad fight: "I shouldn't have to have fights like that to win" and "If I have another fight like that, I retire".

Wlad exposed/opened a serious mental crack, Ruiz finished him off in that regard.

Against certain styles the post-Ruiz 1 outboxer version would be the best but generally speaking Joshua was most effective prior to the Wlad fight.

The Joshua who fought Kevin, Whyte and Wlad was very beatable of course: defence was leakier, chin always a problem, lacked experience, mentality never great and engine suspect but he would let his hands go and that made him a threat to anyone. The one who fought Ruiz 2 or Dubois doesn't lean into his strengths so he's not as dangerous for higher level opponents.

 

Stopping Wallin in the manner he did it was impressive to me.

 

He had his 2 out of 5 best career wins after the Wlad fight: Parker and Povetkin.

 

Joshua was in his prime whenever he fought someone who was at least five years past theirs.

 

Otto Wallin was 9 months ago and AJ fans and critics alike were fairly unanimous in saying he looked as good there as he ever had.
Now that he has stepped in the ring with a prime puncher, and been found out again, has nothing to do with being past it.

 

Probably his best win in his comeback run, but Wallin is Top 15 at best and from what I gather tailor-made for AJ based on their sparring sessions together etc. Wallin's still not at the level of opposition that AJ fought in his run up to Ruiz.