Former undisputed two-weight champion of the world Evander Holyfield was asked to pick a winner between expected 2021 opponents Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury on the Ak and Barak Show (on DAZN and Sirius XM Fight Nation) this week, and the fight game legend found the question as tough as some of his biggest in-ring challenges.
If Joshua can retain the WBA, WBO and IBF heavyweight titles against Kubrat Pulev at the SSE Arena on Saturday, he is expected to finalize a deal previously agreed in principle to put his belts up against the WBC championship of Fury — if, that is, all of the governing bodies allow a unification to occur.
When put on the spot as to who is the most likely to join him and other all-time greats in the exclusive club of undisputed world heavyweight champs, Holyfield wasn't entirely certain if there was a clear winner.
"Anthony Joshua may be, on paper, the better fighter of all of them right now," explained Holyfield. "He’s a gold medalist and a good fighter. I know he’s capable of being the very best of everybody, but when pressure and doubt hit him, what kind of person is he gonna be?
"Tyson Fury is the only heavyweight right now that makes adjustments. And when people can make adjustments, these are the ones who are proven to win fights."
Holyfield made reference to Joshua's loss of his belts last summer to Andy Ruiz Jr, the only defeat of his career and one he avenged six months later in Saudi Arabia to become a two-time titleholder.
Joshua admitted to DAZN's Chris Mannix this week that the pressure and the doubts did indeed hit him before the fateful first fight at Madison Square Garden, as he took exception to the lack of respect he felt was coming his way from media and fans alike.
However, after wondering if it was all worth it, Joshua later decided the answer was a resounding yes.
He told Mannix that he used the experience to care less about what others thought of him, developing a thicker skin in the process. His new outlook led to a more focused performance to win the belts back, and will be required to get past Bulgaria's Pulev, who knows this could be his last chance to become world champion at the age of 39.
If that indeed happens, Joshua vs. Fury in the summer of 2021 appears to be the endgame to the heavyweight division's best period since Holyfield's own heyday.
"I don’t know who’d win," admitted the 58-year-old to Ak and Barak. "Both guys had the abilities necessary to win. I’m not trying to make enemies with them!
"Whoever has the most heart will win. When they both get tired, which guy is going to push more? They are both capable of it."
Joshua vs. Pulev takes place Saturday, Dec. 12 and can be purchased in the U.K. and Ireland on Sky Sports Box Office, while viewers elsewhere across the globe can watch the event with a DAZN subscription.