Briton Anthony Joshua is a two-time world heavyweight champion with three championship belts at his peak. Now, Joshua is pushing his way ahead of his mixed martial arts sensation Francis Naganno next month before aiming for a unified winner of Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk. Today, though, we're not going to talk about Joshua's next steps, but who is the greatest heavyweight fighter in his mind?
In an interview with the well-known media GIVEME SPORT, Joshua revealed the top 5 best fighters in his mind and gave them a ranking, so let's take a look at who they are.
5. Evan Holyfield
In Joshua's mind, Holyfield is at the bottom of the top 5 best fighters, but this does not affect the excellence and greatness of old Holyfield. Holyfield is the only champion to hold the undisputed status in the welterweight and heavyweight divisions during the three-time belt, and the only fighter to win four heavyweight titles to date.
Joshua said he was inspired by watching Holyfield's documentaries early on, drawing on his opponent's gritty fighting spirit and knowing how to earn the respect of his fans, while describing Holyfield's technique as "everything a coach asks for."
4. Lennox Lewis
The relationship between Joshua and Lewis is very delicate, and now it is labeled as "discord", but in the early days of Joshua's rise, he still has a lot of respect for Lewis, and it is nothing more than Lewis's criticism of Joshua at the moment, far more than praise, some people feel that criticism is Lewis's "gift" to Joshua, and Joshua should feel honored, but no one wants to hear criticism all the time.
Joshua admits that Lewis has played an important role in his boxing career, and he sees him as a mentor and shining role model. Joshua had this to say about Lewis: "I don't think he even showed his best abilities. "Considering Lewis is the last undisputed heavyweight hegemon, Joshua's comments are the greatest compliment to his predecessors.
3. Larry Holmes
Holmes was the heavyweight champion from 1973 to 1985, and his most iconic weapon was the elusive front-hand jab, which Joshua once positioned and commented on Holmes - the jab is a very dangerous skill that can be easily countered, but Holmes can easily master this skill.
Joshua said he had carefully studied Holmes' jab in light of his own conditions. Joshua believes that Holmes' jab is one of the best legacies in the heavyweight division, letting people know that it is possible to reach the top with a jab.
2. Mike Tyson
Joshua described Tyson this way: "It was a beast, a man with a 19-foot neck circumference, quadriceps, and you couldn't cross your legs against Tyson." ”
Tyson was 1.80 meters tall at his peak, and Joshua was 1.98 meters, although the hardware gap between the two was obvious, Joshua said that he had learned Tyson's style to move, which shows Tyson's place in Joshua's heart.
Tyson's name resonates easily, and even those who don't watch boxing, know Tyson. Tyson, who was in his prime, feared everyone and known for his deterrent power, is no wonder Joshua adores Tyson, saying he is a fan of Tyson.
1. Muhammad Ali
The media and experts often regard Ali as the greatest heavyweight fighter of all time, and no one dares to argue with this, whether in or out of the boxing world, Ali can be called a "perfect man", so it is not difficult to understand that in Joshua's mind, the boxing champion Ali is ranked first.
Joshua has used a series of words to describe Ali – "the king of the ring, the best, the man who brings skill to the game." At the same time, Joshua emphasized that Ali's mind is unique, saying: "The reason why Ali was able to defeat Joe Fraser, George Foreman is because he has a boxing brain that no one can match, he is a wizard in any era. ”