5 Years 8 Months: Anthony Joshua Vs Heavyweight Legends

By Jake Chaney.

On June 1st, 29 year old Anthony Joshua had his 23rd Heavyweight fight. In one of the biggest upsets in boxing history, he was stunningly stopped in round 7, by Californian, Andy Ruiz Jr.

In a sport loaded with a ridiculously excessive number of sparkling sanctioning body belts, it is increasingly difficult to decipher how impressive a current boxing star’s achievements are, and how they compare to previous legends of the ring. One minute a fighter’s resume is being hyped and sensationalised...and then with a defeat, it is often ripped to shreds.

This short analysis does not focus on sanctioning body titles, like the IBF and WBO belts, which did not exist in Rocky Marciano’s or Joe Louis’ eras. Instead, it highlights something that is more meaningful: top 10 rated opponents and International Hall of Fame opponents faced (as per impartial independent ratings). References: Boxing Register – International Boxing Hall of Fame Record Book, Transnational Boxing Rankings Board rankings, The Ring rankings.

Anthony Joshua has been a professional for 5 years 8 months. In this time he has fought six top 10 rated opponents. After approximately 2 years 6 months, Anthony fought his first top 10 ranked opponent, #9 rated Charles Martin, stopping the American in the 2nd round of their April 2016 contest. Since then, he has beaten Dominic Breazeale, Carlos Takam, Joseph Parker, and Alexander Povetkin – all top 10 rated at the time of the fight with Anthony. Wladimir Klitschko was unrated by TBRB, but is a lock for the Hall of Fame when he is eligible. Andy Ruiz Jr, was not considered to be top 10 rated (at the time that he defeated Joshua, he was unranked by both the TBRB and The Ring), bringing Joshua’s overall total to six top 10 rated opponents/Hall of Famers, in 5 years 8 months.

When comparing a similar time-frame, how does Joshua’s record stack up against previous all-time great Heavyweights?

Well, he has surpassed the tally of Larry Holmes (3 wins), Riddick Bowe (1 win, 1 loss), and Wladimir Klitschko (1 win, 1 loss to unranked, Ross Puritty), and is in the same brackets as the likes of Lennox Lewis, Rocky Marciano and George Foreman. Rocky was an unbeaten 5-0, whereas Lewis and Foreman had recently suffered their first losses (to McCall and Ali, respectively), so were 4-1.

Lennox Lewis - a 2-time Lineal Heavyweight World Champion

Smokin’ Joe Frazier defeated Muhammad Ali at the end of his first 5 and a half years, and was 8-0, which included a pair of bruising distance fights with Oscar Bonavena, and a memorable left hook KO of Jimmy Ellis.

The most impressive opening 5 year stretch of the last three-to-four decades was produced by a young Mike Tyson. Mike defeated eight top 10 rated opponents, and also KO’d Hall of Famer Larry Holmes. He then lost to “Buster” Douglas, making is record 9-1.

Muhammad Ali is the only Heavyweight to have entered double figures while remaining undefeated. His mark of 11-0 included back-to-back victories over Sonny Liston finishing with wins over Floyd Patterson, George Chuvalo and Henry Cooper.

A mere 5 months after his July 4th professional debut Joe Louis stopped top 10 rated, Lee Ramage. By 18 months he was 8-0, which included knockouts of Hall of Famers, Primo Carnera and Max Baer. Astoundingly, Louis defeated over twice as many top 10 contenders/Hall of Famers during his first 5 and a half years as Mike Tyson. Louis’ 19-1 tally is head and shoulders above any other Heavyweight, with the lone loss in 20 fights (to Hall of Famer, Max Schmeling), being avenged via his famous 1st round knockout at New York’s Yankee Stadium.

Anthony Joshua’s resume is impressive and compares favourably with previous Heavyweight greats. It’s worth noting that by the 5 years 8 months point, rivals, Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder still had not fought a top 10 rated opponent. Despite his recent loss, Joshua’s mark of six wins over top 10 rated opposition/Hall of Famer fighters, is the highest since Mike Tyson’s unbeaten streak in the 1980s.

However, all of the Heavyweight legends listed in this article won the Lineal World Heavyweight Championship – Louis, Ali, Frazier, Tyson, Marciano and Foreman all won it in under 5 years 7 months.  After crushing, shocking stoppage losses to Oliver McCall and Max Schmeling, Lennox Lewis and Joe Louis rebounded, and went on to win the Championship. To join these legends, and win The World Championship (Lineal), like Lewis and Louis before him, Joshua must regroup, before targeting reigning Champion, Tyson Fury.

@LinealBoxChamp

[The 5 months 8 months records and opposition of the Heavyweights highlighted in this article are listed below.]

Joe Louis: 19-1

Opposition: Ramage, Perroni, Ramage, Brown, Carnera, Levinsky, Baer, Retzlaff, Schmeling (L), Sharkey, Ettore, Pastor, Bradock, Farr, Mann, Schmeling, Lewis, Galento, Pastor, Godoy.

Time taken to win World Championship (Lineal): 2 years 11 months.

Muhammad Ali: 11-0

Opposition: Miteff, Daniels, Lavorante, Moore, Jones, Cooper, Liston, Liston, Patterson, Chuvalo, Cooper.

Time taken to win World Championship (Lineal): 3 years 3 months.

Mike Tyson: 9-1

Opposition: Ratliff, Berbick, Smith, Thomas, Tucker, Biggs, Holmes, Spinks, Williams, Douglas (L).

Time taken to win World Championship (Lineal): 3 years 3 months

Joe Frazier: 8-0

Opposition: Bonavena, Chuvalo, Ramos, Bonavena, Quarry, Ellis, Foster, Ali.

Time taken to win World Championship (Lineal): 4 years 6 months.

Rocky Marciano: 5-0

Opposition: Starza, Layne, Louis, Matthews, Walcott.

Time taken to win World Championship (Lineal): 5 years 6 months.

George Foreman: 4-1

Opposition: Peralta, Chuvalo, Frazier, Norton, Ali (L).

Time taken to win World Championship (Lineal): 3 years 7 months.

Lennox Lewis: 4-1

Opposition: Ruddock, Tucker, Bruno, Jackson, McCall (L).

Time taken to win World Championship (Lineal): 8 years 9 months.

Larry Holmes: 3-0

Opposition: Shavers, Norton, Evangelista.

Time taken to win World Championship (Lineal): 7 years 7 months.

Evander Holyfield: 2-0

Opposition: Dokes, Rodrigues.

Time taken to win World Championship (Lineal): 5 years 11 months (Most of first 4 years at Cruiserweight).

Riddick Bowe: 1-1

Opposition: Holyfield, Holyfield (L).

Time taken to win World Championship (Lineal): 3 years 8 months.

Wladimir Klitschko: 1-0 (lost to unranked Ross Puritty)

Opposition: Byrd.

Time taken to win World Championship (Lineal): 12 years 7 months.

Female Fighter Profile: Delfine Persoon

Delfine Persoon

Photo Credit: Flanders Today

Record: 43-1-0 (18 KOs)

Belts won: Lightweight - WBC/WIBA/WIBF/WBF/EBU/IBF

Age: 34

Professional debut: 23rd May 2009

Born: Gits, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium

Fights out of: Belgium

Ring Style: Orthodox. Rangy, tight guard, with a sharp accurate jab. High work-rate, excellent footwork.

 By Suzy “Q” Smith.

Delfine has been fighting professionally for 10 years. In this time she has won the EBU European Female Lightweight title, the IBF World Lightweight title (stripped due to inactivity), the WIBA, WIBF and WBF World Lightweight titles and the WBC World Lightweight title.

The only loss in Delfine’s career came early on, fighting 4-3, Zelda Tekin, on November 1st, 2010. Zelda was disqualified against Delfine in the previous fight. Delfine learned from this loss, going unbeaten in her next 34 fights.

Belgian, Persoon, is not only a professional boxer – as well as prize fighting, she works as a railway policewoman. Unfortunately women’s boxing, at present, is not as lucrative as men’s, forcing many fighters – even elite ones such as Persoon -  to juggle a part-time job around their training.

Born in Gits, Belgium, Delfine followed her sister to ballet, but didn’t warm to it, instead preferring Judo, which she started with her sister at the age of 6. She switched to boxing, for fitness, when a back injury stopped her continuing Judo. Having turned professional in 2009, Delfine did not get a chance to compete in the Olympics and afford the great pro start, others now benefit from. Delfine had to build her way up slowly to challenge for titles and it wasn’t until her 13th fight on March 5th 2011 that she got a shot at the EBU European Lightweight title. Delfine fought Nicole Boss who was 5-2-1, coming off 2 wins, beating her by UD. Delfine only went on to defend this title once, on November 1st 2011, against Myriam Dellal, who was 7-3-2 and coming off 3 wins - she won by UD. The next fight on February 25th 2012, saw Delfine win the WIBF World Lightweight title against Lucia Morelli who was 17-2-0, and coming off 3 wins - she won by TKO in the 5th round.

The first major title (of the popularly recognised 4 main belts) fight came on September 21st 2012 for the IBF World Lightweight title, against Erin McGowan, who was 14-1-0 and coming off her only loss. Delfine won by TKO in the 7th round, although did not defend this title for a year, so was stripped in September 2013.

On December 13th 2013, Delfine once again fought Lucia Morelli who was now 18-3-0 and coming off a win. Delfine won by TKO in the 10th and final round to retain the WIBF, WIBA and WBF World Lightweight titles, which she has retained to this day.

The next fight was probably the biggest and best win of her career for the WBC title. On April 20th 2014, Delfine fought Erica Anabella Farias, who was 19-0. After a very competitive opening few rounds, Delfine’s experience showed, and she went on to win by UD, although by the final bell, the Belgian had two bleeding eyebrows.

Delfine has since made 9 defences of the WBC belt.

In summary, Delfine has had a solid career that has been slow in patches. She turned professional before women’s boxing was in the Olympics, so did not get a chance to gain from the publicity boost that many Olympians now receive. Her career began, at a time when recognition for female fighters was even more difficult to obtain, ultimately creating a tougher environment for her team to make the big fights. In truth, boxing is not just down to a fighter’s skill, it also depends on the skill of a fighter’s management and promotional team in negotiating and guiding them to the most profitable and high profile match-ups possible. As usual the sanctioning bodies like to strip fighters and despite winning the IBF title, and not losing a fight, it was stripped from her, and is now held by Katie Taylor.

June 1st 2019 will be the biggest fight of Delfine’s career to date, against Ireland’s super-star, Katie Taylor. The winner will not just be in possession of all 4 major belts, but will be crowned the true champion of the Lightweight division - The Lineal World Champion. One thing is for sure, although Taylor is the betting favourite, Delfine is vastly experienced, still at her peak, and is certainly capable of pulling off the upset.