Boxing legend Larry Holmes has given a brutal verdict on Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury's fighting careers.

Holmes shared the ring with some of the greatest heavyweights of the previous century including Muhammad Ali, Earnie Shavers and the late Leon Spinks.

The torch has now been handed over to a new crop of talented heavyweights in the 21st century including Fury, Oleksandr Usyk, Joshua and Deontay Wilder.

Despite many making comparisons, heavyweight royalty Holmes only sees any fantasy fights going one way...

Larry Holmes went in on Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua

Joshua lost his belts to Usyk in their first meeting back in September 2021 in the UK, and he then went on to come up short again in a Saudi Arabia rematch a year later.

In between the two showdowns, Holmes said that the result only proved Joshua is like 'a ripe tomato' ready for picking.

He told The Telegraph: "Anthony Joshua, he hasn't really shown a lot.

"He's like a ripe tomato. He might have it. But who has he fought?

"I'm not going to knock him, and say he's a bad fighter.

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Boxing - WBA, IBF & WBO Heavyweight Titles - Anthony Joshua v Oleksandr Usyk - Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, Britain - September 25, 2021 Anthony Joshua in action against Oleksandr Usyk Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Couldridge

"To be called great, you need to be compared to some truly great fighters, and he hasn't got that far yet."

Fury has yet to be defeated in his professional career and had another positive year cruising past Dillian Whyte and Derek Chisora in 2022.

He is hoping to fight this year despite a turbulent time so far, and is back in talks with Usyk to match a rare feat and attempt to become undisputed champion in the Middle East this December.

But Holmes gave his honest assessment of the Gypsy King last year. The former heavyweight world champion admitted that he doesn't think he is anything special.

He said of Fury: "Same thing. Guy who's big, nice size, strong.

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"It would have been an interesting fight, me and him, but I have change-ups, going in, or staying out. Side to side, switch hitting.

"Look, I'm happy with all the gifts I was given, I can't complain.

"I don't like to knock nobody but I like to tell the truth."

Larry Holmes backs the old generation

This isn't the first time that Holmes has claimed that they wouldn't have a hope of beating his class of legends, including Muhammad Ali, George Foreman, Earnie Shavers, and Michael Spinks.

Speaking to Fight Hub TV earlier this year, he said of the pair: “They don't have any skills.

"They don’t know how to throw one, two and move out to protect yourself.

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“The fighters today are not the fighters when I fought. We fought the top 10, we didn’t duck anybody.

"Today these guys don’t want to fight - you want to make some money, you’ve got to bring it to them, you’ve got to make these guys fight.

"Fury can't move like Larry Holmes - you’ve got to give punches, you shouldn’t take punches.

"And that’s what he does, he takes punches, I guess that’s what he wanted to do, prove to people that he can take a punch."