Teddy Atlas Says Anthony Joshua Is ‘Overrated’

Hall of Fame trainer Teddy Atlas recently grabbed headlines as he called Anthony Joshua “an overrated guy.”

The 32-year-old has lost three of his last five fights, including the one against Oleksandr Usyk in Jeddah. The first of his defeats came in June 2019, when he was stopped by Andy Ruiz in seven rounds.

However, he got his revenge on Ruiz by regaining the world titles after a dominant decision win. He went on to defend his belts against Kubrat Pulev in 2020.

The defeat to Usyk in Saudi Arabia was where Joshua broke down physically and emotionally. The Ukrainian fighter retained the WBO, IBF, IBO, and WBA heavyweight belts with a split decision.

Atlas isn’t impressed by Joshua’s list of opponents but doesn’t deny that he is a superstar.

“With respect, fans in the UK love a good loser. [Joshua] knocked out Charles Martin, who’s not on anybody’s list of great fighters, to win the title. He’s been an overrated guy,” Atlas said on his podcast.

“I can’t say it any clearer or give you an any better reason for it. Who has he beaten? I say it again, who has he beat? He’s lost and he’s lost by knockout. Alright, the last two to Usyk, he got hurt, he lost by decision, he showed heart.

“But he got knocked out by Ruiz who took the fight on last-minute notice. I really believe that Joshua has always been overrated, but he can bring in big money.”