Lennox Lewis knows a thing or two when it comes to being the best heavyweight in the world. So current IBF heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua (17-0, 17 KOs) may want listen to Lewis when he recently that Joshua still needs more experience before moving on to bigger and more important fights.
"There are going to be people who aren't happy and people who are happy but we have to remember that he needs to be developed," Lewis recently told Sky Sports. "We can't just put him in there against anybody top level but he's not far from the top level right now, because when you look at the landscape of heavyweight fighters, there aren't that many people around."
Joshua won the world title in April when he beat Charles Martin and then made his first successful defense when he beat Dominic Breazeale in June.
Compared to the other heavyweight champions like WBA and WBO champion Tyson Fury (25-0, 18 KOs) and WBC champion Deontay Wilder (36-0, 35 KOs), Joshua still needs to develop before fighting either of those guys. Wilder will face Chris Arreola in his fourth title defense on July 16.
"He needs to get a bit more experience before he gets in there with the top guys," Lewis said. "I think he's doing a good job. He's doing what needs to be done. The opponents that are put in front of him, he's knocking them out. He's not wasting any time and that's what people want to see."
As for how people will react to him, the former undisputed heavyweight champion thinks that Joshua still needs to keep fighting and earning the respect of his peers. Even though he has won an Olympic Gold medal in the 2012 Summer Olympics, the pro game is much different and only has 17 fights to his name.
"For me, I went over there [to the U.S.] and they booed me," Lewis recalled. "It gave me the energy to go and win and when I won, I could hear a lot of cheers afterwards. It's really just turning the corner. There are a lot of people who are patriotic and believe all British fighters can't fight but I'm sure Joshua will show them that's not true and will prove to them there are great fighters in Britain."
By Carlos Toro-
