If Joshua retired tomorrow, he's a top 25 ATG HW

You can make an argument for him being somewhere in the 20s but don't forget about Corbett, Jack Johnson, Norton, Jeffries, even Braddock, among others.

 

I hate being the guy to question the premise of a thread, and I am sounding like a broken record in doing it, but there have been so many exceptional guys in 157 years of Queensbury rules, that I think that picking even a top 25 becomes a meaningless exercise. I just put notable fighters in tiers.

Joshua is a second tier guy. He had his own little era, but it was a poor one, and whereas he is a tough night for anyone, he is very beatable. Good record, but nothing jaw-dropping.

 

I wouldn't rank him in top 25 all time, he hasn't fought in that hard of an era and he's still lost to a sub par Ruiz, and almost lost to a 80 year old Wlad

 

Joshua’s more accomplished than Vitali

 

I thinks it's best I don't get involved


As Craig David one sung "I'm walking away...."

 

That is exactly the point. You CAN say it about anybody.

And yeah, a number of heavyweights, exceptional in their own way, have emerged. Joshua has a good body of work, but how do you compare it ot a guy like Max Schmeling, whose title reign was a disaster, but who has a win against Joe Louis? Or Harry Wills, who had a great body of work, but was never really given a shot at the title? Or Walcott, who has 20 losses but no end of good wins? Or Chonyski, who never won the belt but has a win over Jack Johnson and draws with two other champs?

And on and on.

I said what I said and it makes perfect sense. It was a good, solid run, but the really impressive wins aren't there due to Klitschko being ridiculously past it and the rest of the guys being mediocre.

Joshua has a solid, important place in history, but he is second tier. No one is going to mention him with ALi, Louis, Lewis, Marciano, etc.

 

Second tier is still pretty great. I think people don't realize how hard it is to get a world title and how much harder it is to capture 4 and defend them. As boxing fans we just have really high standards when we are comparing to the the best. The best guys are the most exceptional in a sport that has thousands of competitors each year. We only hear about the top 10, but it's a long road to get there. Nothing wrong with being 2nd tier. AJ has nothing to hang his head about, just shows what a massive accomplishment it took for guys like Ruiz and Usyk to beat him.

 

I agree 100%. I think he has a huge place in history, just not there with Ali, Louis, Lewis, Marciano, etc.

 

Top 25 All Time?

Forget top 25 all-time, Joshua doesn't even have 25 wins.

He has been a pro for nine years and he has yet to fight the top-rated fighter in the division.

At this point, he's sliding fast.

 

I get your point but you basically just reiterated what the OP already said.

 

Your back? Have you made your apology to Usyk yet for impugning his character?