prime Anthony Joshua vs Tony Tucker, David Tua, Chris Byrd, Deontay Wilder

AJ has good options. If he boxes smart he should win all of these. He has enough boxing skills to be able to outpoint a guy like Tua, and enough size and power to overwhelm guys that are better boxers than him like Byrd. I'd say that all these guys have a chance of beating him but I think I favour him in all the matchups.

Of course if we take a version of AJ which is less than best he could run into problems.

 

I always envisioned AJ getting starched by Wilder when that fight was originally being kicked around. Prime vs. Prime, I'd still go with that result.

AJ-Tua? Definitely winnable for AJ, and I think he'd probably be well ahead, but maybe gets nailed late here. I always used to catch myself overrating Tua, and he did lose a few fights I thought he'd win. Maybe I'm doing the same thing here, but I'd go Tua by late, come from behind KO. I think AJ has to take that left hook eventually, and I don't trust his chin when that happens. Think Tua vs. Maskaev, Izon, or Rahman 1. That's what I suspect would happen here. Tua TKO10.

AJ-Tucker? Not sure which way this goes. I thought Tucker beat a pretty good version of Douglas, and maybe doesn't get enough credit for that win. That version of Tucker maybe pulls out a close decision. Would avoid betting too much on this one though. If Tucker clams up at all, maybe the decision goes the other way, but I think Tucker had the chin, skills, and gas tank to win this.

AJ-Byrd? Probably an awkward, not very fan-friendly fight. AJ probably has a low connect percentage in this one, but still comes out of it with the decision.

Each of these are interesting match-ups IMO.

 

Agreed. Most of these I can see an argument either way. He may very well win wide decisions vs. Tucker, Tua, and perhaps Byrd. I always was confident though that Wilder would drop that right hand on AJ and end it early. As one dimensional as Wilder was/is, I never really liked that match-up for AJ.

 

I always thought AJ's better boxing skills would get the better of Wilder. Wilder's fundamentals are not very good. That said my opinion of Wilder's chances have gone up through the years. He's definitely got better chin and heart than I originally gave him credit for, whereas AJ seems much more fragile in both departments than he seemed in his early career. When two big hitters go at it things like this can make a difference.

 

The best AJ beats tua, wilder and possibly tucker, that being said i don't know if he can go 12 rounds with tua without getting caught because he's definitely not stopping him

Losses to byrd

The only clear win here is wilder and even that has an *

 

Potentially loses against all of the above.

 

Tua runs him over, like Ruiz Jr but much more dominant

Prime Wilder out dogs him and sparks him at some point

 

50-50 over all of them except Byrd.

Need to able to punch to beat AJ

 

I favour all of them except Wilder.

 

Byrd gets pretty overated on these forums, I dont think he has the style to beat AJ.

Tucker would do okay but I don't think he'd be active enough.

Wilder and Tua could only win by KO, but they would have a pretty good chance of that.

 

Tucker is a tough one at his best he makes it a real hard night for AJ.
Tua he'd have to be on his bike all night and box straight and long ala Ruiz 2... Problem is Tua is a much bigger puncher. I can see Tua clipping him at some point and swarming him. Timing would be crucial though.
AJ beats Bryd. He's good enough technically to play that game and doesn't rely on one shot, AJ can box and work openings.
AJ - Wilder is a pick em. Can AJ hold Wilders right hand - no. BUT if AJ puts Wilder on the back foot which you think he would he can take Wilder out.

 

AJ - could beat everyone on this list at his best. Joshua’s issue, in both his loss to Ruiz and Dubois, was getting over aggressive and losing form when he thought he had his opponent hurt. He has a low emotional IQ, and I say that because he made the same error in both fights years apart he didn’t learn.
Against Ruiz - AJ dropped Ruiz good, and then got caught trying to go for the knockout by an opponent with fast hands and good durability. AJ never recovered and basically quit. Then against Dubois a past prime AJ got dropped early but his technical superiority was beginning to show but what happened the first big right hand that landed, and buckled Daniel’s knees, AJ rushed across the ring for the finish, showing sloppy form and he got clipped by a beautiful counter and that was all she wrote.
This collection of opponents except maybe prime Tucker don’t bring the tools to beat AJ.
Wilder gets knocked out quickly - his defense is worse than Aj’s and it often took Wilder rounds to land a bomb on decent opposition. He wouldn’t last that long with Joshua.
Byrd would be outboxed from range most likely and lose a decision around 8-4.
Tua gets easily outboxed. His good chin would work against him as AJ wouldn’t open up to give him a chance for a ko.
Tucker has the size and athleticism to compete and maybe make AJ gas out or catch him in an exchange.
All in all - I think AJ would lose one, and I would lean that it would be Tucker.

 

I believe AJ gets pretty unfairly viewed by maybe half the forum. But...I'm not going to be flabbergasted by pretty much any outcome on these. He's such a strange bundle of waxing and waning poise, with incredible stature, extremely dangerous and some very interesting skills, and a somewhat mediocre to good chin. He's not a glass cannon but some of the cannon is made of vulnerable, so-so materials. Some presswood in there where you expect cast iron.

 

I can’t explain why but I just know that prime for prime, Wilder would have buried AJ in that ring.