Anthony Joshua 28-4-0 (25) vs. Frank Bruno 40-5-0 (38) - Who was better in the final analysis?

[Willow The Wisp]

Joshua is a brilliantly managed fan favorite. But after failing to capitalize on a carefully orchestrated plan to buy him another phony "title" belt; the question became a very close call.

Your thoughts?

[famicommander]

Frank Bruno vs fighters that won a legitimate world title:
L vs James Smith KO 10
W vs Gerrie Coatzee KO 1
L vs Tim Witherspoon TKO 11
L vs Mike Tyson TKO 5
L vs Lennox Lewis TKO 7
W vs Oliver McCall UD 12
L vs Mike Tyson TKO 3

Anthony Joshua v fighters that won a legitimate world title:
W vs Charles Martin KO 2
W vs Wladimir Klitschko TKO 11
W vs Joseph Parker UD 12
L vs Andy Ruiz Jr. TKO 7
W vs Andy Ruiz Jr. UD 12
L vs Oleksandr Usyk UD 12
L vs Oleksandr Usyk SD 12
L vs Daniel DuBois KO 5

Titles won
Bruno: WBC
Joshua: WBA/IBF/WBO (twice each)

It's Joshua and it's really not close. Bruno was more or less a gatekeeper.

[hugh grant]

I really believe Josh is better

[crimsonfalcon07]

Frank Bruno vs fighters that won a legitimate world title:
L vs James Smith KO 10
W vs Gerrie Coatzee KO 1
L vs Tim Witherspoon TKO 11
L vs Mike Tyson TKO 5
L vs Lennox Lewis TKO 7
W vs Oliver McCall UD 12
L vs Mike Tyson TKO 3

Anthony Joshua v fighters that won a legitimate world title:
W vs Charles Martin KO 2
W vs Wladimir Klitschko TKO 11
W vs Joseph Parker UD 12
L vs Andy Ruiz Jr. TKO 7
W vs Andy Ruiz Jr. UD 12
L vs Oleksandr Usyk UD 12
L vs Oleksandr Usyk SD 12
L vs Daniel DuBois KO 5

Titles won
Bruno: WBC
Joshua: WBA/IBF/WBO (twice each)

It's Joshua and it's really not close. Bruno was more or less a gatekeeper.

I'm not really convinced yet that Dubois "won" a legit world title. He got knocked out by the previous holder of the title when they fought, didn't earn it in the ring (and how was he even in an eliminator coming off a KO loss from a previous mandatory challenge?), and this defense came against another guy with two consecutive losses to the real champ. Although his performances vs PED cheat Miller and Hypejob Hrgovic were very good, as was his destruction of AJ, who honestly looked like he beat himself mentally before he even stepped in the ring, I can't in good faith call him a world champ when Usyk is still active and undefeated.

[hugh grant]

I'm not really convinced yet that Dubois "won" a legit world title. He got knocked out by the previous holder of the title when they fought, didn't earn it in the ring (and how was he even in an eliminator coming off a KO loss from a previous mandatory challenge?), and this defense came against another guy with two consecutive losses to the real champ. Although his performances vs PED cheat Miller and Hypejob Hrgovic were very good, as was his destruction of AJ, who honestly looked like he beat himself mentally before he even stepped in the ring, I can't in good faith call him a world champ when Usyk is still active and undefeated.

I think ddd could best usyk next time. DDD has improved.

[famicommander]

I'm not really convinced yet that Dubois "won" a legit world title. He got knocked out by the previous holder of the title when they fought, didn't earn it in the ring (and how was he even in an eliminator coming off a KO loss from a previous mandatory challenge?), and this defense came against another guy with two consecutive losses to the real champ. Although his performances vs PED cheat Miller and Hypejob Hrgovic were very good, as was his destruction of AJ, who honestly looked like he beat himself mentally before he even stepped in the ring, I can't in good faith call him a world champ when Usyk is still active and undefeated.

There's only one legitimate heavyweight champion at any given time, and that's the lineal champion. By that metric neither of the guys Bruno beat were ever champion either; Coatzee won a WBA title and McCall won a WBC title, but neither were ever lineal champion of the world.

By "legitimate world title" I simply mean they were recognized as the top champion by the Ring, TBRB, WBA, WBC, IBF, and/or WBO. Nothing more, nothing less. No secondary or interim belts, no IBO/IBA/WBU nonsense. Charr or Trevor Bryan or Jimmy Thunder wouldn't make the list but Charles Martin does, even though I personally consider Martin a joke too. Martin held the full IBF title.

A more honest way to make the comparison would be to look up the Ring (since there was no TBRB in Bruno's era) ratings for every fight both Joshua and Bruno had, but I'm a very lazy man and that's a lot of fights. So I used titlists instead because I can do that off the top of my head.

[The D3vil]

Joshua is the better boxer, so he wins 7 out of 10 times

But Bruno could easily check that chin

[dan_cov]

AJ is more accomplished and has the better resume but in a softer era where he had the better options but Bruno was the better fighter overall and would have knocked AJ out head-to-head.

I know there has been a lot of comparisons between AJ and Bruno but Daniel Dubois seriously fights like Bruno

[dan_cov]

Joshua is the better boxer, so he wins 7 out of 10 times

But Bruno could easily check that chin

What makes you think AJ was the better boxer?
Better athlete possibly but better boxer?

[Toffee]

Joshua has had the more accomplished career. I don't think there's too much doubt about that.

I'm also sure he's the likely winner in a fantasy head to head.

But none of that is to take away from Bruno. I've said it on here many times that his career and ability is massively underrated.

Mind you, so is Joshua's on here.