I agree Josh is great and the best player today, and entering the conversation for greatest of all time. But a few points:
1) you use 10b titles in response to a 9b ranking list. That is disingenuous.
2) you use WNT titles, a fairly recent metric, to compare a player at his peak to a player who peaked before WNT was a thing. That the post-peak player still has done amazingly well in his 40s vs the crop of hotshots in their 20s is a point in his favor.
3) Related to number 3, there are significantly more titles in general to be won nowadays, which is advantageous to those who are currently at their peak.
4) World Games gold medal? Really? That was Josh vs nobodies because only Josh (which is to his credit) cared enough to travel and compete for no real financial gain. That you feel necessary to use that as supporting evidence actually detracts from your point.
5) Teams championship? In 10b?? This is a single-player 9b discussion. Another piece of evidence that detracts from your point.
Given how much of your argument lies in games other than 9b, and in titles that didn't exist during Shane's peak, I am less convinced than I was before reading that post that Josh is better than Shane at 9b. And I'm someone fully on the Josh bus for best player of this generation.
I respect your right to your opinion, but Shane, an undisputed all-time legend, is not post-peak. He plays better pool than he ever has, and this is a very popular view on AZB. Especially tactically, he is way better than he was when he was winning US Open 9ball titles. He shone in the world of 1 on the spot, 4 1/2" pockets, and break from anywhere in the kitchen, for his break was the best in the world back in the day under those playing conditions. He was also not facing the much tougher fields of today that have resulted from when pool went internationally viral about a decade ago. Now, the fields are much tougher and the game more difficult, a more well-rounded skill set is needed to win the toughest titles.
FYI, as often discussed on the forum back then, the four 9ball majors in Shane's prime were, unquestionably, the World 9ball, the All-Japan, the China Open and the US Open. Yes, Shane won five US Opens, an amazing feat, but those fields were a lot easier before the game went globally viral about 10 years ago. Many of the stars of Aisa skipped the US Open 9bball each year, although they were always at the other three internaitonal majors. Still, until 2022, aged 39, Shane hadn't won any of the other three, and he played in all of them. His performance at the events having the toughest international fields was not very good during most of his prime. Let's not pretend that Shane did anything close to dominating at the international majors during his prime. He did not.
Of course, it's all a matter of opinion, and there's no right answer. I mentioned 10ball because most people consider it to be Shane's best game, but also because half the majors are now 10ball. Still, Josh's best game by far is 9ball, and in an era where winning 9ball majors is tougher than it ever has, he still collects a whole lot of titles.
In the end, we're comparing two vintage models here, and whatever we think, it's fun to delight in both of them.
