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DIRIYAH, SAUDI ARABIA – DECEMBER 07: Anthony Joshua looks on with a cut to his left eye during the IBF, WBA, WBO & IBO World Heavyweight Title Fight between Andy Ruiz Jr and Anthony Joshua during the Matchroom Boxing ‘Clash on the Dunes’ show at the Diriyah Season on December 07, 2019 in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
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DIRIYAH, SAUDI ARABIA – DECEMBER 07: Anthony Joshua looks on with a cut to his left eye during the IBF, WBA, WBO & IBO World Heavyweight Title Fight between Andy Ruiz Jr and Anthony Joshua during the Matchroom Boxing ‘Clash on the Dunes’ show at the Diriyah Season on December 07, 2019 in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
Ahead of his much-anticipated exhibition bout against former four-division champion Jon Jones Jr. this November 28 inside Staples Center in California, Iron Mike shared his thoughts on unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua.
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The British heavyweight has often been criticized for not being as good as one might believe. Additionally, his TKO loss over Andy Ruiz Jr. also met with large skepticism. However, AJ bounced back with an emphatic unanimous decision win to reclaim his throne.
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NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 01: Andy Ruiz Jr knocks down Anthony Joshua in the third round during their IBF/WBA/WBO heavyweight title fight at Madison Square Garden on June 01, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
Still, however, terms like “paper champion” have been used repeatedly to describe Joshua’s reign as the unified heavyweight champion. However, former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson feels otherwise.
“I don’t think he’s a paper champion. I just think he’s a big guy — it’s hard to fight being that big. It’s very difficult being that big and having to fight a smaller guy … that guy could learn some more. He could be taught some more stuff,” Tyson said in a conversation with ESPN.
Needless to say, with big wins over Wladimir Klitschko, Dillian Whyte, Joseph Parker, Carlos Takam, and an impeccable record of 23-1, Joshua is destined for greatness. However, there is more to these records than the stats might indicate.
How good is Anthony Joshua?
Anthony Joshua has wins over former champions. However, his victories have come against these champions when they were nearing retirement. ‘AJ’ took on former heavyweight great Wladimir Klitschko when he was 41-years-old and was making his return to the boxing ring almost two years after dropping the heavyweight strap to Tyson Fury.
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LONDON, ENGLAND – APRIL 29: Anthony Joshua (White Shorts) catches Wladimir Klitschko (Grey Shorts) with a right hand upper cut in the 11th round of their IBF, WBA and IBO Heavyweight World Title bout at Wembley Stadium on April 29, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
Additionally, his win over Russian legend Povetkin also came when the Russian was past his prime. However, it cannot be denied that Povetkin’s KO win over Dillian Whyte serves as a sharp reminder about how good ‘AJ’ is inside the boxing ring.
He doesn’t commit many mistakes and is always calculated. Additionally, he generates humongous power and has been ruling the heavyweight division for quite some time now. Needless to say, Anthony Joshua deserves to be at the top of the division. However, just like every boxer, he has his fair share of flaws and will be looking at honing those skills as he goes forward.
What do you make of Mike Tyson’s comments?