Personally, I think it's a shame how Anthony Joshua's career ended or will end.

He's been tested more than Tyson Fury and at least found his level

Fury is happy decieving the public and then crying "mental health" when he is about to be exposed again

Fury looked for his comfort zone and never wanted to go beyond it. Joshua at least wanted the test but ultimately fell short. No shame in that.

No honour in ducking though.

 

I don't

He was always overrated

 

He's made tens of millions of pounds as a bodybuilder

Gifted gold
Gifted his first belt

His career went as well as it could have

 

Man, Usyk is a cruiser. People can disguise it as they want to, but Usyk is a ****ing cruiser.

And anyone thinking that it is not important will have very bad news when they watch (if we can ever watch) Fury (a real top heaveyweight) vs Usyk (a cruiserweight).

 

He hit his ceiling. 3rd or 4th best in the division, no shame in that. Its an ability issue as much as a psychological one.

I feel like he's reluctant to test himself though. People always blame Fury and Wilder for those fights not happening but I never felt like Hearn was particularly keen on making them. Even now he'll say "maybe one more tune up fight then we fight Wilder" and after that he'll just start talking about having one more fight first/doing it at some unspecified date next year.

 

I do not. He has done well.

 

His rise was impressive and no doubt he did a lot to rejuvenate the interest in the heavyweight division that had waned during Wlad's career and what he could have done for boxing had he been able to be this generations dominant heavyweight would have been good for the sport in general as we have so few crossover stars, especially ones as marketable as Joshua.

But in the end that very attribute, his ability to promote himself and appeal to the general public was also his undoing. He became too much of a business man, too concerned about his brand that he lost sight of his first priority, that of being a boxer. His loss to Ruiz was shocking and avoidable and he's never been the same since. He used to take risks in the ring and give fans fights that truly entertained and that's what really made him a star, not his media friendly persona.

In the end he simply wasn't good enough and I guess I always knew that as I've always favoured Fury to beat him. The fact Usyk was able too, just further proved his limitations. As a fan of his, yes how his career has turned out is disappointing but and least he dared to be great, he simply fell short of his own ambition.

 

I hate the current state of boxing where there’s a strong chance that he may never face Fury and Usyk may never face Wilder.

Had Ali never gotten a shot at George Foreman he would not have been considered 1 or 2 best HW ever. Foreman had just destroyed Joe Frazier and Ken Norton which were 2 fighters that had beaten Ali. In todays climate fans and writers would have simply used the triangle theory and felt there was no need to fight Ali.

 

Joshua tested more than Tyson Fury ,let’s see Joshua do one fight with Wilder never mind a trilogy .

 

There was no need for a Wilder trilogy.

Wilder was battered in the rematch and nobody wanted to see it for a third time.

That's not Fury "testing" himself. That's just bullying someone you KO'd and arguably beat the first time around too.

That's Fury's legacy

Klitschko
Wider x 3
Chisora x3

 

Your missing the point and going off in a completely different direction,Fury tested himself against the biggest Heavyweight puncher of this era,Hearn will still not allow Joshua anywhere near him. As for Fury bullying someone you know as well as I do that the trilogy fight was ruled in a court of law .

 

Yeah making the big fights happen is where reputations are forged and not just for the winner at times.

 

He'll end his career as the only fighter who will "fight anyone" while actively ducking his 2 biggest contemporaries.

 

a win over wilder or fury and everything changes for him the 2nd usyk fight proved he is still a threat to anyone and with how lazy fury is he is gonna get caught sooner or later you cant live his lifestyle and stay on top into your late 30s sorry you just cant

 

Hearn maximised AJ's career. He got him a title shot against a weak champion early on and they both made a lot of money together. Promoters are everything in boxing and AJ was lucky to have Hearn in his corner. Sometimes the best fighters get nowhere as they have poor promoters and can't bring in the money.