Anthony Joshua compared with Lennox Lewis

Lennox Lewis is at this point obviously more proven, but IMO Joshua has more potential.

Boxing fans rarely give contemporaries any credit and this is exacerbated in the Heavyweight Division, no knee jerk reaction here is likely to be "Joshua will never be as good as Lewis" and "Joshua will never be as great as Lewis".

I, of course, have a different opinion.

Let's tackle "greatness" first. Joshua, IMO has the potential to have fought better opposition overall than Lennox did. People like to say that the current Heavyweight division stinks (or words to that effect)...but in most eras people have criticized the heavyweight division as it stood. I will admit that the 90s was pretty decent...but let's look at who Lewis actually fought.

Gary Mason - Slow as molasses
Bruno - Robotic and already been destroyed three times before Lewis struggled with him
Ruddock - Good win, but Ruddock had seen better days is teh consensus
Morrison - Had already been destroyed twice before Lewis went a few rounds with him
Mercer - Previously beaten by an old Larry Holmes, who beat him much more easily than Lewis did
Holyfield - OLD by the time Lewis fought him.
Golota - Basket Case
Grant - Bum
Tyson - Shot
Tua - Short and fat...and never amounted to anything
Vitali -Lewis' best win.

Joshua, on the other hand, has the potential to have fought and Beaten Wlad, Fury, Parker, Ortiz, Wilder. In agregation those guys who, besides Wlad, are young and prime are a more formidable group than who Lewis has fought....all are HUGE 21st century Heavyweights that hit HARD.

In terms of ability

Joshua is far more versatile offensively than Lewis was, far more fluid in his punches, faster handed, busier. Lewis has better one punch power, but Joshua makes up for that by being a far better combination puncher. Joshua is also bigger than Lennox and has shown the ability to get up and win by KO. Lewis has never gotten up to win.

So, in conclusion, I believe that Anthony Joshua has the potential to be the greatest ever Heavyweight from Great Britain. What say the masses?

 

I'm a big fan of Joshua, I agree that he has a level of scrutiny applied to him that the big names from yesteryear never had to put up with simply because he is a contemporary fighter. For example getting hurt by Whyte, Ali was hurt early in his career, it's not a big deal. Getting dropped and nearly stopped by an "old, washed-up Klitschko", Joe Louis got dropped and WAS stopped by an old, washed-up Schmeling. Nobody holds that against the Brown Bomber when evaluating his greatness.

Saying all that, Lewis is my favourite fighter ever and I just don't see the same potential in AJ, as excellent as I think he is.

 

Lewis at his best vs the best I've seen so far from Joshua would be a KO win for Lewis inside 4 or 5 rounds, I really think AJs chin would crumble under that right hand of Lewis.


AJ can improve though so time will tell.

 

Aj is good, but nowhere near as good as LL was.

Seems like im in the minority, but im not that impressed by him going through fire to beat an old pussy wlad, who lost every seconds of his f9ght against fury a year earlier

 

LL > any version of AJ that's ever gonna exist

 

Lewis' chin hasn't been seen as his strength, either.

Chances that Joshua will be as good as Lennox are slim as Lewis is a top-3 heavy, but the criticism Joshua receives for getting tagged a couple of times is laughable

 

Great post

 

Nah you'e not in the minority.
You're just not desperate to see modern day heavyweights made out to be something they'e not.
Too many people bigging-up Joshua and his potential opposition as anything else except shit.

The current level (and by current I mean last 10-15 years) is the worst in history.

Basically Lewis goes through Joshua like a hot knife through Ugo's face. ..

 

But a desperate need to see heavyweights worse than they are is noble. Got it.

Mind you, 90s was the worst era ever too, and Lennox, according to magazines, was good but never great and maybe top-15, after beating Tyson, and he 'looked like a novice' against Grant

 

A motivated Lewis smokes Joshua in 4 rounds.

 

I was always nervous before Lewis fights and I would be nervous as hell if he faced off against Joshua. Don't get me wrong, Lewis SHOULD win as he's better, but AJ is better than McCall and Rahman. I'm quite sure Lewis would be up for this though and a motivated Lewis is an absolute nightmare for any heavyweight in history.

 

Lewis>AJ

In terms of talent overall. Lennox even as a raw prospect, had incredible power, fast hands, and nice variety on offense.

AJ is probably better on inside and going to the body, but his stamina is a concern I admit. I wish he'd come in about 10 lbs lighter. Don't like that extra muscle at all. Not for the long run of his career, anyway.

I think it would take a lot for AJ to surpass Lewis, honestly.

 

yeah, what's with his exaggerated musculature? man needs to do some more cardio

 

Thats a terribad argument since these guys got lot of shit for these incidents, and only redeemed themselves in the eyes of the public and experts after they proved these were flukes. The same degree of scrutiny was applied to them and to claim otherwise only shows that your knowledge of boxing history is flawed (at the time, everyone thought Liston would crush clay because of the Copper KD)

With AJ, the trend so far is that every time he face a good fighter, he gets hurt bad and/or looks unimpressive (and calling Whyte good might be a bit of a stretch based on his recent performances) I don't agree with Mustard on the current level of the HW division, so I think that it would be very impressive if he cleans out the division, but so far, he's receiving far too much accolade for what he has done.

 

The consensus was that LL was a definite top 10 or even top 5 after the Tyson fight. Pulling one idiotic claim that was made at the time doesn't make for a strong argument

 

Joshua is never gonna be as good as Lewis. Period. Lewis would have killed even a prime Wald. Joshua BARELY got it done versus a totally shot Wald.

 

This argument is a faaar reach. Period.
The best thing that Joshua has done is beat an old, shot to shit Wlad. And looked horrible doing it as well.

Joshua is nowhere near Lewis’ level and still has a lot to prove.

 

My whole point was about potential. I'm not saying that it's proven right now.

 

Ruddock was probably at his peak when Lewis fought him.
You left off Akinwande, undefeated and Lewis was a 7/5 favorite.
Lewis was more fluid than AJ.
AJ's competition potential is at least as good as Lewis's so he'll have a chance to be considered as good.

AJ looks like a juicer. Hope he's not, but you don't bet that when you have his physique.

 

One of the worst 'attempts' in a title fight by any boxer ever...

 

you forgot to mention 'mohawk bum'

we'll see how AJ's career goes and the comparison also depends on whether he gets KTFO by 1 punch on two occasions

 

Mohawk bum was no push over. He made Lewis work for his win.

 

Ruddock was definitely not at his peak. He was never the same after the two Tyson fights. But I was still impressed with how Lewis took him out.

AJ vs Parker looks like it's gonna get made any moment now. Should be a good test for AJ.

 

Good fight, but I'd rather Parker fought Fury or Ortiz or Wilder before going right after the king pin.

 

Can't be worth opening another thread for but...AJ BXNG?

Seriously? Promoting as well now?



The whole Joshua-Hearn setup is pukesome...

 

I don't know whether it's a good thing or a bad thing. You'd think he should dedicate 100% of his time to his fighting career. Quite a few people saying it's a bad move and could spell disaster for him in the ring. I suppose it'll do him no harm if he goes about it the right way.

 

Because concentrating on his actual fighting career would mean he has to take chances and risks...and he and Hearn and SKY don't want that.

Joshua is the most carefully marketed, manufactured and measured heavyweight in history...

 

REED Doubts Joshua's More than a FIGUREHEAD Promoter...

No Way is he Spending 8-10+ Hours a Day On the Phone or In Board Rooms, Securing Dates/Venues, Sponsorship, TV Rights, etc.

At Most He's SCOUTING Talent, Offering Moral/Financial Support and Providing Heightened Notoriety to His Fighters, by Association...

Somebody Else is Doing the GRUNT Work...






REED

 

disagREED...

Dude's Had What, 20 Fights???...Joshua's Resume and Accomplishments Compares FAVORABLY to Most Other Heavy's 20 Fights Deeeeeeeep into Their Careers...

He'll NEVER Be as Polished or Nuanced as Lennox, but AJ's Already More BELOVED...









REED