I'm not convinced that AJ easily beats Louis or Liston anymore

I'm a little less confident Super heavies dominate the smaller Heavies of the past after last night, but then I don't think Joshua is true elite either. Pov was the more skilled blatantly but his age let him down more so, he was getting tired..I think Mike Tyson smashes Joshua to bits prime regardless of Joshua's physical advantages

 

Well...it's boxing ya know. Went through a few millennia before weight classes came along.

 

I thought he looked like crap yesterday until Pov gassed out. He's too big and too stiff with too shallow a gas tank.

 

I also think Povetkin is underrated. He's a seriously skilled HW that's fighting at the highest level pushing 40. Five years younger and I think he would have beaten AJ.

 

Lmao Liston and Louis would destroy AJ, didnt know this was a question

Imagine if povetkin had the accuracy and power of the brown bomber, and the stamina. would look terrible. Liston just straight up savagely tears into him

 

The current crop don't do a lot for me I'm afraid. Wilder's too amateurish, AJ's a bit robotic & Fury's just plain dull. The 2 former are fun to watch though.

 

Liston would hammer him and ko him before the 5 th.Louis a little longer and may even have to climb up off the deck first .

 

Liston would beat Joshua within 8 rounds, he would dominate him with his jab and finish him off when he starts to run out of gas, Liston only struggled with fighters who had great movement which Joshua certainly has not.

Louis was hittable and struggled with lesser punchers than Joshua but his superior counterpunching would make this a 50/50 fight.

 

I think we shouldn't get ahead of ourselves.

I think yesterday might have been a bit of an off night for Joshua and he still became the first to stop a very dangerous opponent. It's not like Louis and Liston didn't have worse nights against lesser opposition themselves.

Or maybe it was that Povetkin was a level above anyone Joshua's faced bar Wlad. In that case, it's not hard to envision ATG fighters that aren't that much smaller than Povetkin giving AJ an even tougher time.

But it is hard to say just yet. Let's give it another five years or so before we say anything too definite.

 

What impresses me about Joshua is his ability to take a punch from a bona fide HW. Whyte, Wlad and Povetkin all hit him with genuine big shots and he survived. He got up from a tremendous punch from Wlad.
Also impressive is that power in his right hand...his jab isn't too bad either.

You guys are comparing him, a guy with 22 pro fights, with Louis, Liston etc who had way more fights.
Compare Joshua with them in their 22nd fight. Louis got stretched out by Schmeling in his 25th bout, Liston was fighting the immortal Bert Whitehurst in his 22nd fight.

I see improvement from Joshua, as opposed to Fury who looks like crap, and Wilder who still has footwork and balance problems.

 

Though wasn't there age categories in early boxing?

Probably because ancient boxing (and sports in general), were more connected to war, no weightclasses in war.

Though I wouldn't be shocked if someone back then did have the idea of some sort of size classes, even if it was a minor sideshow.

 

AJ's chin is not bad, and he is devastating when he opens up. Great finisher
Povetkin has faster feet and is more agile than Louis and Liston