1 Joshua vs Wladimir Klitschko
By far the best victory on this list, Joshua’s 2017 win against an admittedly faded Klitschko announced his arrival as a genuine force at heavyweight and signalled the passing of the torch from old to new. To win, Joshua had to drag himself up from the canvas in round six before ending matters in the 11th.
2 Joshua vs Andy Ruiz II
Although at times unnecessarily cautious, Joshua’s 2019 revenge win over Andy Ruiz Jnr was vitally important in terms of getting his career back on track and restoring shattered confidence. He did both in the Middle East that night, outboxing a badly out of shape Ruiz behind the jab and never taking too many risks.
3 Joshua vs Alexander Povetkin
Despite a slightly shaky start, Joshua soon got to grips with Povetkin when they clashed in 2018 and in the end delivered a thrilling stoppage in round seven.
4 Joshua vs Joseph Parker
This 2018 encounter, one of the duller fights in Joshua’s career, saw the Londoner control matters with his size and strength and keep Parker skirting around the perimeter of the ring. The approach resulted in a wide decision for AJ.
5 Whyte vs Derek Chisora II
Arguably the best win of Whyte’s career by virtue of its devastating finish, Whyte settled his rivalry with Chisora, as well as answered lingering questions from their first fight, by disconnecting his fellow Londoner from his senses in round 11 of their rematch in 2018. One punch – a left hook – was all it took in the end.
6 Joshua vs Charles Martin
Though a win mocked in some quarters at the time, Joshua’s two-round dismissal of Charles Martin in 2018 seems to get better with age. That doesn’t mean “Prince” Charles has gone to become a force at heavyweight, but it’s true that others have struggled more with the awkward southpaw than Joshua did that night in London.
7 Whyte vs Joseph Parker
Four months after Joshua had beaten Parker, Whyte also got hold of the New Zealander. It was a far more entertaining affair, too, with Whyte floored in round 12 and Parker dropped in rounds two and nine. Ultimately, Whyte prevailed on the cards.
8 Whyte vs Oscar Rivas
Marred by the drug-test controversy in the aftermath, Whyte’s 2018 decision win over Rivas appeared a solid win at the time, particularly given he recovered from a ninth-round knockdown. In fact, only the unbeaten Colombian’s inactivity post-Whyte has altered the value of the win in the time that has passed.
9 Whyte vs Alexander Povetkin II
Having been knocked out cold by Povetkin in their first fight, this 2021 rematch was as important as any fight in Whyte’s career. He delivered in it, too, taking advantage of a clearly out of sorts Povetkin to register a stoppage in four rounds.
10 Whyte vs Lucas Browne
Browne may not rank highly in the league of opponents Joshua and Whyte have faced, but the manner in which Whyte dismissed the Aussie during their 2018 fight – ending proceedings with a huge left hook – ensures this is one Whyte performance hard to forget.