The Heavyweight trying to save boxing

[Marchegiano]

I wonder how history will treat the current top heavyweights?

We've got Wilder who had his fans, but now it's clear his resume was heavily padded and he failed the first time he stepped up. One of the worst long reigning Champions ever seen. And took his first defeat terribly - probably badly enough to end his career.

Fury produced a great win against Klitschko before going off the rails. Came back and produced another great story (against the aforementioned weakest long reigning champion). Hasn't fought since, looks to have stacked on weight again, is now talking the Undisputed fight down.

Then there's Joshua. Heavily disliked on here. But he's spent a career fighting the best available, unified belts, met his mandatories in an attempt to unify the division, always comes physically prepared, took his loss like a true sportsman, made no excuses and avenged it.

I hope Joshua completes his life work and achieves Undisputed. He's the only one who deserves to go down as a great. You don't have to like his style to appreciate his character. You don't have to like his promoter either.

Surely it's time that Joshua was appreciated on here as the one who actually had a go?

Damn straight. It's a shame Joshua doesn't have more fans here.

[Damn Wicked]

I like Joshua. He showed a lot of character in his loss to Ruiz and he showed character in his rematch with Ruiz. He's definitely got my respect.

[Bain01D]

Also, the best among those above were defined by how they came back from defeat. Defeat used to be considered inevitable - it was the response that varied.

Nowadays a guy gets pilloried for a defeat, even when he came back with absolute class and professionalism.

Exactly and he came back, straight into the fire against someone who had just stopped him! Then what does he do next? Look for the best fighter out there, Fury! What more can you ask???

[denium]

I wonder how history will treat the current top heavyweights?

We've got Wilder who had his fans, but now it's clear his resume was heavily padded and he failed the first time he stepped up. One of the worst long reigning Champions ever seen. And took his first defeat terribly - probably badly enough to end his career.

Fury produced a great win against Klitschko before going off the rails. Came back and produced another great story (against the aforementioned weakest long reigning champion). Hasn't fought since, looks to have stacked on weight again, is now talking the Undisputed fight down.

Then there's Joshua. Heavily disliked on here. But he's spent a career fighting the best available, unified belts, met his mandatories in an attempt to unify the division, always comes physically prepared, took his loss like a true sportsman, made no excuses and avenged it.

I hope Joshua completes his life work and achieves Undisputed. He's the only one who deserves to go down as a great. You don't have to like his style to appreciate his character. You don't have to like his promoter either.

Surely it's time that Joshua was appreciated on here as the one who actually had a go?

He will never go down as a great because he's overrated, and got KO'd by a fat man, he's also never beaten a legitimate champion, and his best win is still Tyson Fury's leftovers.

I don't appreciate his character either, he's fake and a borderline racist.

History will show that there was one true champion in this era, and it ain't Joshua.

[Dr. Z]

I wonder how history will treat the current top heavyweights?

We've got Wilder who had his fans, but now it's clear his resume was heavily padded and he failed the first time he stepped up. One of the worst long reigning Champions ever seen. And took his first defeat terribly - probably badly enough to end his career.

Fury produced a great win against Klitschko before going off the rails. Came back and produced another great story (against the aforementioned weakest long reigning champion). Hasn't fought since, looks to have stacked on weight again, is now talking the Undisputed fight down.

Then there's Joshua. Heavily disliked on here. But he's spent a career fighting the best available, unified belts, met his mandatories in an attempt to unify the division, always comes physically prepared, took his loss like a true sportsman, made no excuses and avenged it.

I hope Joshua completes his life work and achieves Undisputed. He's the only one who deserves to go down as a great. You don't have to like his style to appreciate his character. You don't have to like his promoter either.

Surely it's time that Joshua was appreciated on here as the one who actually had a go?

Wilder is a fraud with 0 wins over a top ten contender under the age of 35

Fury has some talent, but he's also a drug cheat and his rep hangs with a 39 year old Wlad, and Wilder, it that still counts.

Like you said Joshua at least fights his share of top ten contenders and should get the most respect to the three.

[Marchegiano]

Wilder is a fraud with 0 wins over a top ten contender under the age of 35

Fury has some talent, but he's also a drug cheat and his rep hangs with a 39 year old Wlad, and Wilder, it that still counts.

Like you said Joshua at least fights his share of top ten contenders and should get the most respect to the three.

When you pick and choose which top tens who are officially ranked to recognize why should anyone listen to what you have to say next?

When you open with an outright lie why should anyone think you have anything of worth to say?

[Toffee]

He will never go down as a great because he's overrated, and got KO'd by a fat man, he's also never beaten a legitimate champion, and his best win is still Tyson Fury's leftovers.

I don't appreciate his character either, he's fake and a borderline racist.

History will show that there was one true champion in this era, and it ain't Joshua.

Won't go down as a great because people rate him too highly? I'm not convinced that makes sense.

He got beaten by a guy he should have beaten, and then trained the house down and did beat him in a rematch. What more do you want?

I'm not sure what you want in a boxing champion. Is great zero losses? Or is it purely 'eye test'? I would have thought the things I mentioned in my original post were a better indicator of greatness.

We know his team have sent contracts to fight for every single belt he didn't hold during his reign. All parties have acknowledged that. Just think about that for a second - every single possible belt he has tried to fight for. And then kept hold of by organising mandatory fights when he could have dropped them. Do you need more evidence that he is trying to unify the division?

He paid through the nose for Martin, he got titles on the line for Klitschko, he paid Parker a fortune. So far it's only Wilder and Fury who haven't signed up.

He's the only one doing all the right things - like him or not, surely you can respect him?

[MikeyMike100]

Totally agree with this. Anthony Joshua is the reason why the heavyweight division is back at the forefront. When Wilder was champion in 2015 almost nobody cared I remember. People only starting caring about Wilder and Fury once Anthony Joshua became established as a champion.

He has the deepest resume and has continuously fought the best competition out of any current heavyweight. He avenged his only loss and is looking to become undisputed. People just hate on someone who is successful and is the cash cow no matter what.

[Angeljuice]

Joshua got mollywhopped by Andy Ruiz. That image will never be forgotten.

It already has been forgotten, he redeemed himself and made Ruiz look like a fat pudding in the rematch.

Get over it, everyone else has moved on, why can't you?
He lost a fight, he came back with a completely new game plan and didn't lose a single round in the rematch.

Joshua and Wilder have both suffered humiliating defeats, Joshua learned his lesson, looked at his performance and improved himself.

Wilder has blamed everyone except himself, made non stop excuses, slandered everyone with zero evidence of his insane paranoia.

Joshua is the consumate professional in his attitude and approach and if you can't appreciate that, (even if you dislike the man) then are you even a fan of boxing?

When a man is pushed to beyond his limits and breaks, how he rebuilds himself tells you all you need to know about his character.

[ShoulderRoll]

It already has been forgotten, he redeemed himself and made Ruiz look like a fat pudding in the rematch.

Get over it, everyone else has moved on, why can't you?
He lost a fight, he came back with a completely new game plan and didn't lose a single round in the rematch.

Joshua and Wilder have both suffered humiliating defeats, Joshua learned his lesson, looked at his performance and improved himself.

Wilder has blamed everyone except himself, made non stop excuses, slandered everyone with zero evidence of his insane paranoia.

Joshua is the consumate professional in his attitude and approach and if you can't appreciate that, (even if you dislike the man) then are you even a fan of boxing?

When a man is pushed to beyond his limits and breaks, how he rebuilds himself tells you all you need to know about his character.

Joshua and Ruiz are 1-1. Who the better man is hasn't been proven yet in my book, there needs to be a rubber match.