Has past-Usyk Joshua really separated him self from other guys?

[Toffee]

While i think AJ has improved...those 3 showings dont show much on the grander scale. AJ will never beat Usyk...but then again who will. Usyk will retire soon and AJ will hang around on a second wind to try to bolster his legacy. I expect it will go this way. He will do money fights with shot Fury and Wilder at some point down the track which he will win and will historically look great on his resume as time fades memory. He might pick up a belt or 2 along the way if he gets a vacant shot against a prospect fighter like Anderson when the belts scatter after Usyk. If anything i think the IBF title becomes vacant once Joshua is contracted into another fight....and Dubois fights Kabayel. Joshua will shoot for the only belt he never had...WBC. .maybe against Wilder.

I can't imagine Wilder v Joshua ever being made now. They've tried their best to get Wilder a win to make the fight viable but it's just not happening.

I know we got Lewis v Tyson when Tyson was a shot fighter, but he was at least still winning fights.

Joshua v Wilder would look irresponsible right now. I don't think Wilder's most ardent supporter could be anything other than concerned for his safety.

[Rockybigblower]

I can't imagine Wilder v Joshua ever being made now. They've tried their best to get Wilder a win to make the fight viable but it's just not happening.

I know we got Lewis v Tyson when Tyson was a shot fighter, but he was at least still winning fights.

Joshua v Wilder would look irresponsible right now. I don't think Wilder's most ardent supporter could be anything other than concerned for his safety.

I agree that Wilder cant beat Joshua now...but thats not Joshuas concern. Hes an ego driven cvnt who will take Wilders scalp...claim he could have beaten him all along...and when he retires will claim his resume t rumps everyone elses from this era. He will claim to have beaten....other than Usyk...every other heavy from this era...and he will be correct if you gloss over that he will do it when most of them are past best before dates.

[Toffee]

I agree that Wilder cant beat Joshua now...but thats not Joshuas concern. Hes an ego driven cvnt who will take Wilders scalp...claim he could have beaten him all along...and when he retires will claim his resume t rumps everyone elses from this era. He will claim to have beaten....other than Usyk...every other heavy from this era...and he will be correct if you gloss over that he will do it when most of them are past best before dates.

If he does it before and after Usyk... and he does it after Fury... it's still very impressive in historical terms.

He's been consistently up near the top of this sport for 8 years now. And he might have another few years left in him.

As for fighting Wilder, I agree it will always be something he wants on his CV no matter how diminished Wilder is. I just don't think there'll be any kind of money for the fight.

[The D3vil]

Don`t think so.

Franklin
Helenius
wallin
Ngannou


So, he only beat Wallin, who was N.10 by the Ring by the time they fought.

Fighting Dubois, Kabayel or Zhang will be actually a huge step up for past-Usyk Joshua.

Nope, but let his English muffins tell it, he's ready for prime Lennox Lewis because he knocked out Robert Helenius,

[pollywog]

Joseph Parker in a rematch ends the myth of Anthony Joshua and were he ever to face Fury he'd end their bromance by flattening him.

Usyk v Parker is the fight to make but Usyk after Fury will probably retire.

[RJJ-94-02=GOAT]

RJJ-94-02=GOAT famicommander
I'm less concerned with lineal.

I'm taking about "the best". Which was never decided until last month.

Joshua losing to Usyk, and Fury losing to Usyk, makes Usyk the best.

Neither Joshua nor Fury losing to Usyk makes them finished, bums, or anything below the next two places.

Joshua, Fury and Usyk were already separated from the rest on ability and resume. Joshua beating Ngannou didn't move him substantially upwards in that reckoning - he was already there just as Fury is still there after a loss to Usyk.

If you compare Fury and Joshua, there's nothing really between them. Being an ex lineal champion means nothing in that equation.

Fury was the best when he beat Klitschko, the undisputed #1 HW at the time. He also reclaimed that #1 spot when he beat Wilder. Universally ranked #1 vs #2 by Ring, TBRB and ESPN. Joshua has never been the #1 guy at any point.

[Toffee]

Fury was the best when he beat Klitschko, the undisputed #1 HW at the time. He also reclaimed that #1 spot when he beat Wilder. Universally ranked #1 vs #2 by Ring, TBRB and ESPN. Joshua has never been the #1 guy at any point.

Which shows that it was more than just casuals who were fooled by Wilder's resume.

People can determine that fight to be the best v best all they want. It's got no great standing for me. Good win for Fury, but that's all.

[RJJ-94-02=GOAT]

Going by TBRB and The Ring, Fury became the man twice.

First by beating Klitschko, then vacating by "retiring", then winning it back in a fight between the #1 and the #2 when he knocked out Wilder.

Joshua had his shot at being "the man" after Fury's second "retirement" when he faced Usyk in their rematch. Usyk won the vacant TBRB and Ring titles then, and technically defended them against Fury in the undisputed unification.

Now the discrepancy is resolved and people who didn't honor his "retirements" can agree with the people who did, and Usyk is the champion by all accounts.

It's actually kind of annoying that people continued recognizing Fury's lineal claim through two retirements. Joe Louis was retired for less time but he was still considered to be fighting Charles for the vacant lineal championship when he returned, and Ali was also considered to be fighting Holmes for the vacant championship. But Fury's marketing team kept throwing the lineal claim out there and everybody let him off the hook for not one but two retirements, when Ali and Joe didn't get the same grace.

Yeah I largely agree, whether you include the bogus retirements or not, Fury has at least been the man at HW, Joshua hasn’t.