Matt Macklin has responded to Eddie Hearn’s claim last week that Anthony Joshua boasted a better resume than Tyson Fury.
Whilst Macklin can understand Hearn’s argument for backing Joshua’s resume over Fury’s, the two wins that Fury holds over Deontay Wilder override the arguably superior depth contained in former unified champion Joshua’s CV.
Speaking to Pro Boxing Fans, Macklin said:
“I know where Eddie’s coming from, but I don’t really agree with it. I think the three fights Fury had with Wilder cancel cancels that out. He also beat Dillian Whyte better than ‘AJ’ did.”
Fury’s standout wins apart from the two against Wilder and his stunning knockout over Dillian Whyte include the upset over long reigning champion Wladimir Klitschko back in 2015 and his three defeats of Derek Chisora, the most recent of which came just two weeks ago.
Joshua himself has defeated Klitschko, albeit a slightly more faded version, as well as Whyte. He also holds win over former world champions Alexander Povetkin and Joseph Parker and top 10 heavyweights such as Kubrat Pulev and Carlos Takam.
Many would argue the deciding factor is the fact Joshua has now tasted defeat on three occasions, whilst Fury remains undefeated.
Although Joshua managed to avenge his shock KO loss to Andy Ruiz Jr on the first time of asking, he had no such luck in his rematch against the masterful Oleksandr Usyk in August of this year in Jeddah, who put to bed all question marks over his credentials as a heavyweight after moving up from cruiser.
Joshua must now accept his current place as at least the number three heavyweight in the world, as Fury and Usyk look set to do battle for the undisputed crown in the first half of 2023.