BoxRec

Personally I think people seem to forget that Frank Bruno was a very good boxer in an era of greats. Joshua is in a very weak era and hasn't faced the likes of Smith, Lewis, Tyson, McCall. So the general comments seem to be that AJ is far superior to Bruno - but what do you hardcore fans think?

Bruno was solid, the problem was as soon as he got tagged his legs went. Have to give it to AJ because I don't think Bruno could take the clean shots.

Bruno was actually quite good. He also carried very considerably power. I think he'd win this fight rather comfortably.

AJ

At this stage no competition BRUNO .. bRUNO WAS SIMILAR BOTH BIG MUSCLE BOUND STIFF BOXERS ,, BUT fRANK HAD A good jab that on recent performances would of took AJ'S HEAD OFF Frank fought better BETTER boxers . Ok he got stopped but look at who stopped him . Aj got hurt by Whyte ,,, at this stage you cannot even compare them , maybee in a few years when AJ has got better you can but not now

AJ, if you watch his fights you'll see he barely ever gets hit at all.

asdfjkl wrote:AJ, if you watch his fights you'll see he barely ever gets hit at all.

You'll also see he's barely fought anyone with a pulse.

Bruno. Mason, too.

Both men were rough-and-tumblers who fought on the front foot, and though Mason wasn't a huge puncher, they represent the kind of boxer that I can see Joshua struggling against. Anyone with a lot of heart, a good chin, decent stamina and power could trouble AJ if they also have the skills to stay inside where he's at a loss to find his advantages.

Joshua could stop Bruno at range if his luck was in, but if you think that AJ's a spiteful bully who wouldn't hesitate to pull the trigger - and that this has been a strength of his so far, maybe rewatch Bruno's first fight against Tyson to see him matching that level of venom. Frank was no cuddly pantoman when he was scared - he was vicious, and AJ hasn't faced anything like that yet.

AJ by late stoppage I reckon. Would be good if there was someone near a prime Bruno about these days. AJ needs this type of gut check fight but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and think he'd come through it.

Im not really sure where Bruno reached his peak? He put up a decent fight against Lewis and got beat, but beat McCall. Was beating McCall a better perfomance that getting beat by Lennox?

At which point do you think Bruno reached his peak?

Hard question for me as im not sure which Bruno to pick. If it was the AJ of now and Bruno Defending his world title rather than facing Tyson (2) I would say AJ because Bruno was very poor that night. If it was AJ of now and Bruno in the Coetzee fight I would give Bruno a chance purely on who landed first and froze. Bruno did well in the Lewis fight so was that his peak?

Both big powerful men and I had/have question marks over both.

Think the difference is, Joshua might go on to answer those questions, Frank fell just short at the highest level.

Fancy Joshua to weather a storm and overwhelm Frank in the mid rounds

ShadrachSimmo wrote:

asdfjkl wrote:AJ, if you watch his fights you'll see he barely ever gets hit at all.

You'll also see he's barely fought anyone with a pulse.

Call me a few heavyweights with a pulse?

It depends on AJ'c chin, still untested for me. Bruno's chin is underrated, he took some absolute bombs from Tyson without dropping, not many fighters at that time managed that. His problem was he could be too stiff and run out of steam. Assuming AJ has a decent chin I could see AJ's speed causing Bruno problems and AJ stopping Bruno mid to late rounds.

lennox would of smashed AJ into next week and Bruno gave him everything he could handle, in fact he was outboxing lewis until the end came. Bruno beats AJ at the present

Bruno's long piston like stiff jab would completely befuddled AJ. Bruno could bang upstairs and down and was less stiff and robotic than AJ is.

Bruno wins.

Bruno is criminally underrated.

Hard to call. I'd go with Frank at this stage of Josh's career.

asdfjkl wrote:

ShadrachSimmo wrote:

asdfjkl wrote:AJ, if you watch his fights you'll see he barely ever gets hit at all.

You'll also see he's barely fought anyone with a pulse.

Call me a few heavyweights with a pulse?

Your a few heavyweights with a pulse sorry couldn't resist.

A prime Bruno could really bang and he hung tough with some of the best from that era. Molina, Brezeale and ahem Martin were nowhere near Bruno's level at his best. I know comparing opponents isn't always logical with these hypothetical match ups but Joshua's chin and stamina are still to be really tested.

At this point I believe it's too early in Josh career to speculate. We need 5 years or so. AJ skills are better but has he got a chin!?

DareTBG wrote:Bruno's long piston like stiff jab would completely befuddled AJ. Bruno could bang.

This. People also forget how much trouble he gave Lennox, controlling the fight with a great jab before Lewis was able to overwhelm him.

Joshua - Bruno's power is a tad over rated. He has a fine KO percentage, but Cotzee aside - didn't really bang anyone out (particularly early) of note.... Pretty much every time he stepped up, he would go rounds - even if they were considered chinny themselves (e.g. Carl Williams and dare I say it Lennox Lewis).

Bruno did fight a very green talented fighter when he was at his prime. For me, Bruno's prime was at the Lennox Lewis fight - and Lewis was raw as anything then. I envisage Bruno vs Joshua being something similar. Bruno having the power to hurt / respect Joshua, but not getting him out of there - and when Joshua lands it would be over.... Bruno being stopped on his feet, on the ropes.

Joshua hasn't fought anybody. Charles Martin is so incompetent he wouldn't beat Mike Williams or Jose Ribalta in the 80s. Impossible to pick AJ, given the lack of evidence of his ability to perform in competitive world class fights. Given that fact, anyone picking him is suspect.

AJ is marginally bigger and stronger but he has much quicker hands so I think he would beat Bruno.

AJ for me despite his lack of a real test up to now. I would give Frank a chance if he managed to keep AJ at range with that jab of his but i think eventually Joshua would overwhelm him and once Bruno's back was on the ropes i think he'd struggle to get back off them and it'd be over pretty quickly.

Joshua is still untested which makes it hard to say for definite.

AJ would win.

Bruno would do well until, as was ever the case, running out of gas and then eating big shots.