Would anthony joshua clear the 1970s (boxing evolution theory)

To play devils advocate, I doubt he would look the same physically if he was around then

 

lol I can’t tell how real this post is.

ok, so, he’d be up there. I can’t see him getting past ‘74 Ali, but he’d probably blast out Norton and Frazier. I don’t see any of the 70s Ali opponents (save for Foreman) being favored over AJ. Shavers has a punchers chance, but I’d bet on AJ ending that one first; AJ isn’t the best but he’s got better fundamentals than Shavers. I guess same goes for Lyle? Some might say Quarry, but I think AJ is sufficiently good to stop him on his feet — Ali and Frazier did it, and yeah they’re better than AJ, but AJ hits an order of magnitude harder than either of them.

So likely possible losses in my mind are Ali, Foreman, and Holmes (once we get to the end of the 70s). Ali and Holmes have sufficient durability and recovery to get past a scary moment or two against AJ if one occurs and continue to outbox him. AJ would never survive the kind of slugfest that Foreman did against Lyle, so I could see a similar fight playing out (although Foreman being in there with a bigger stronger guy would be an interesting thing).

it isn’t that crazy to see a path for AJ ending up with the title by the late 70s and being one of the top guys. Although I think his reign is ended by Holmes. If Usyk made it look easy, I don’t see why ‘74 Ali or prime Holmes couldn’t do it.

side note, I wonder if AJ might be a little tougher if he’d grown up then.

 

there were Mr. Olympia contests long before then. AJ seems like a guy who would have picked up weights the moment he saw those guys. You don’t end up looking like he does, for as long as he has, unless you’re both blessed by good genes AND genuinely enjoy lifting.

 

100% he would, athletes have come a long way, Joshua v Ali would be a mismatch.

 

This

 

And some chemical assistance
Look how narrow his shoulders are for such a big man

Yes Mr Olympia did happen prior to the 70s, but boxers didn't look like Mr Olympia contestants then. One reason is heavy weights, but there is another reason without opening a can of worms

 

Prime Ellis has a good chance of winning. Quarry picks him apart.

He would definitely rack up some good wins and stay in the top ten—he is quite clever, generates a great punch and can put combinations together, but ultimately he would have to move down in weight and muscle mass to improve his stamina and output. The more nimble boxers and even B-class defensive wizards like Peralta would always be a huge threat over twelve or fifteen, and while the more glass-like sluggers like Shavers and Garcia would rely on one shot, Lyle would be worse than Dubois even for a fresher Joshua. Bugner might be tailor-made, with his often lethargic style and lack of proper kick.

Building resume on the likes of Kirkman, Terrell, Spencer, Middleton, Martin, Garcia and Foster, he would likely be a mainstay in the rankings. The premiere roster of the late 60's and 70's is often lumped together, but the peaks of their careers often did not overlap, and the fringe contention area of many years was occupied by some easy picking.

 

Honestly I have my suspicions that some Boxers in the 70s and even before that were also on PEDs. But saying that is like farting in church.

 

It had more to do with the belief of the time that weight lifting made you stiff and less mobile, than the actual lack of any performance enhancers available.

The Soviets were pumping their athletes with PEDs since the mid 50s.

 

I don't understand how you could have watched Usyk thoroughly outclass AJ and then think that Ali at his 70's best (so, around '74) couldn't do the same? The Usyk fights make me pretty confident that '74 Ali or '78 Holmes would beat AJ. Exactly what can Usyk do that '74 Ali couldn't?

 

I once farted in church. Fortunately, only god knew. I figured he forgave me that one, wasn't intentional.

 

Synthetic testosterone has been around since the 30s. I know the history of PEDS well

I'm not saying boxers didn't use. I'd bet my *** they did, but being big wasn't as you say the thing at the time and id wager they use more Drugs and peptides now. HGH and Insulin with test suspension would be very hard to detect, even in modern testing. Also I have no doubt they create new drugs, or alter current drugs to stay ahead of testing. Victor Conte was behind the BALCO scandal has all but confirmed this. However, that's not the point of the thread. Regardless, Aj would not look like he does now, whether through less weight training as you have alluded to, or modern supplementation.

He weighed 230lb for his debut, that's similar to the guys in the 70s. A little heavier as he's taller

 

There's nothing that crazy about a 6'5" man (who appears to actually be a legitimate 6'5") who starts off at a fit 230lbs growing to a lean 250lbs through serious weight training, even without PEDs. Especially when it's a man who has proven the ability to be a dedicated gym rat who watches his diet.

Now, whether a boxing coach would let him is another story, as is whether that extra 20lbs is actually doing him any good in the ring.

 

Yes it is crazy to gain 20 plus pounds of solid muscle, while appearing leaner and cardio the priority

It would be sus pun unintended, if he was a natural bodybuilder and gained this mass

If he is 6'6 and 115kg with 10 body fat, that sets his Fat free mass index at over 27. It's pretty much impossible to be over 25 as a natural, especially if you are not a professional bodybuilder

Did he hit puberty again after the Olympics??

Look I don't care if he uses drugs. I already have a strong opinion and I'm not getting banned over it

He's an overrated can anyway

 

Holyfield was a blown up 190 pounder, not a 255 lbs natural pressure fighter. Moorer couldn't deal with that style for half a minute from a much smaller man (Tua) and consistently got dropped by good fighters and journeymen alike. Holyfield wasn't much of a puncher.