Wilder and Joshua since 2020 aren't that different

"Ruiz for Joshua"

He was 283 lbs for the rematch. I don't think he was better than Ortiz, especially as Ruiz barely scraped past Ortiz almost 3 years after Wilder had KO'd him in their rematch.

"Pulev had beaten a younger version of Chisora"

Pulev also lost to Chisora, they're 1-1. And Joshua had a huge age/wear advantage over Pulev, Wilder did not over Chisora, who was a 1/2 favourite. Hence "adjusted for age".

"Wallin beat Breazeale", "Helenius, they both hold a clear win"

Wilder beat fresher versions, both were coming off KO1 losses when Wallin and Joshua fought them. Breazeale was also 21 months inactive.

I disagreed with OP when he made the thread but at this point I think it stands (especially since 2019 rather than 2020). Not that different. If we go back to 2018 it gets muddier still.

 

It’s why, in time, I forgive AJ his post fight outburst, just a little. Pure human effort, emotion, and expression in defeat. Raining on Usyk’s parade was not on though!

 

It's up to Ruiz how he comes into a fight, he wasn't even a stone different in weight when he fought Miller

You can't blame any of that on Joshua

Yes Chisora managed to get a decision over Pulev when Pulev was in his 40s, 6 years later
Let's not pretend that is the same thing
Pulev beat a far younger fresher Chisora
That is a fact

Helenius was coming off a win when Joshua fought him, but happy to go by your logic here as it blows your own argument about Chisora and Pulev out of the water

I've never understood why Joshua in general fighting at a higher level seems to bother so many on here?
Can't fathom it

 

"It's up to Ruiz how he comes into a fight"

Sure, but if Ruiz barely trains and comes in a stone heavier than he was as a late sub in his previous fight, it takes some shine off the win for whoever beats him. I don't think Holyfield fought the same Douglas (also a stone of fat heavier) that Tyson did, so it's frequently not regarded as one of his best opponents beaten.

"Pulev beat a far younger fresher Chisora"

Pulev was allowed to clinch with impunity in that fight. Pulev won a SD with a favourable referee and lost a SD to Chisora without one. And Joshua didn't fight 2016 Pulev, he fought an old Pulev closer to the one Chisora fought in their rematch.

"Helenius was coming off a win when Joshua fought him"

Against a low level journeymen no one had ever heard of, a few days before.

"I've never understood why Joshua"

We've heard for years about Joshua's "amazing resume", Hearn clearly had much of the boxing public in a state of hypnosis. Even after 21-0 Usyk had beaten Joshua x2 and beaten Dubois, with Fury 34-0-1, the forum consensus was still that 26-3 Joshua had "the best resume". There are probably a few die-hard Joshua fanboys who'd make the claim even now, post-Dubois and Jake Paul.