Tag: Jermaine Franklin

Anthony Joshua picks date for next fight

British boxer of Nigerian descent, Anthony Joshua has said that the next time he will be returning to fight anyone will be in December 2023.

Recall that Joshua defeated American heavyweight boxer Jermaine Franklin by judges unanimous decision.

Joshua has been linked with fights against Dillian Whyte and Tyson Fury following his unanimous decision victory over American Franklin at The O2.

But Joshua appeared to suffer a nose injury during the fight and he posted a statement on social media that suggested a lengthy absence from the sport.

“My next fight is scheduled for December. Not ideal but everything is part of a bigger picture,” Joshua confirmed on his Instagram story.

Joshua lost his unified WBA, WBO and IBF heavyweight titles to Oleksandr Usyk in 2021 and could not reclaim them when he lost his rematch last year with the Ukrainian.

Speaking after the Frankin win he said, “I’m going to keep on pushing and plugging away. Maybe I could have let my hands go more [against Franklin]. Maybe this, maybe that.

“That’s all the past now and all we can look forward to is what’s going to happen in the future. It’s just good to be back and getting the ball rolling. We’re climbing, we’re climbing the ladder once again.”

Joshua called for a heavyweight showdown against British rival Fury after he battled to a points win over Jermaine Franklin.

Joshua previously acknowledged he would have considered retiring had he lost to Franklin. But he promises his enthusiasm for the sport is undimmed.

“I’m passionate. Self-driven. Motivated. No one forces me to do this. No one forces me to get up in the morning and run. It’s tough,” he said. “It’s tough sometimes.

“But there’s something in you that’s like, ‘Come on, you’ve got to fight, you’ve got to win.’ The minute you start losing that desire, you’ve got to be real with yourself.”

He knows that moment will arrive for him one day. One day he will have to stop.

“There is no ticking timebomb that I could actually tell you when it’s going to detonate. But there’s a reality,” he said.

However, he noted: “The reality I’m living is, we’re still chasing something. I’m still chasing the dream.

“I’m definitely passionate about the game. Still. For so many reasons. The list is long and I’m committed until it’s done.”

April 10, 2023
BOXING: “Defeating Franklin ‘ll be one of the greatest comebacks in boxing history” -Buhari prays for Anthony Joshua

President Muhammadu Buhari has prayed that the victory of Nigerian-born boxer, Anthony Joshua, in last night’s boxing bout against American professional boxer, Jermaine Franklin, would be a stepping stone to one of the greatest comebacks in boxing history.

Commending the triumph of the gifted pugilist over a formidable opponent, President Buhari wished Joshua a bright future and a fulfilling career.

In a statement, late Saturday by the Special Adviser to the President, Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, Buhari said the Nigeria-born boxer’s resilient spirit was commendable.

Extolling the mentality of Joshua, who did not allow personal setbacks and obstacles to dent his resilient spirit, the President disclosed that the former three-time world heavyweight champion had demonstrated that by hard work, patience, dedication, persistence and humility, those who dared, would win.

President Buhari lauded Joshua for his courage and discipline, on and off the ring and prayed that his success would be a stepping stone to one of the greatest comebacks in boxing history.

The President believed that Joshua’s accomplishments on the world stage would continue to inspire many upcoming professionals, particularly sportsmen and women, not to be discouraged by temporary defeats and setbacks.

He wished Joshua a bright future and a fulfilling career.

Joshua returned to winning ways after a unanimous points triumph against an American, Franklin, at the London 02 Arena, Saturday night.

TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports that Joshua marked his return to action with a unanimous decision victory over Jermaine Franklin, the judges scoring it 118-111, 117-111, 117-111 in favour of the former two-time world champion.

Joshua, 33, went into the ring having lost three of his previous five contests, which included consecutive losses to Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk.

Joshua regularly landed with his left jab and caught Franklin, 29, on several occasions with his powerful right but the American stood firm – and on occasion cheekily poked his tongue out at his far bigger and taller opponent.

There was a bizarre moment in the final 12th round when Joshua pushed his head into Franklin sparking an angry reaction from Lorenzo Adams, the strength and conditioning coach of the US boxer, who pushed the Finchley fighter.

April 2, 2023
O2 Arena: Anthony Joshua wins Jermaine Franklin by unanimous decision (See actions)

The heavyweight boxing match contested between former two-time unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua and Jermaine Franklin has been won by the former by a unanimous decision.

The bout, which was held at the O2 Arena in Greenwich, London, in Round 2, had Joshua bleeding from the nose.

Following Joshua’s back-to-back losses to Oleksandr Usyk, the latter in August of 2022 in Saudi Arabia, Tyson Fury called out Anthony Joshua for a fight in November or December of that same year.

However, the fight failed to come to fruition, due to sponsorship issues. Franklin fought Dillian Whyte at Wembley Arena in London, England on November 26, 2022.

Whyte won by majority decision, although the decision of that fight was controversial with many scoring the fight as a draw or for Franklin winning.

Looking forward to showcasing his comeback, Franklin, again, suffered another loss to Joshua.

See actions in the fight below:
Round 3

Joshua misses with his right but Franklin responds by charging him down but nothing lands.

Round 4:

The fight is picking up but still no real danger landed either way.

Round 5:

Good uppercut from Franklin after AJ let his hands go. AJ is leading but is still bleeding.

Round 6:

Solid jab from AJ and a powerful left uppercut that shook Franklin.

Round 7:

Franklin is now watchful, parrying Joshua’s deadly hooks, as AJ tries to squeeze through a straight right hand to the face but Franklin escaped it. Franklin throws a left & right combo but AJ fires back.

Round 8

Joshua increases his pace in the eighth round, and pressures Franklin rigorously for the first time in the fight. Marcus McDonnell stopped the fight from becoming messy, this gave Franklin a little breathing space. Franklin moves up on the inside and drags Joshua to the ropes, with the Brit keen to get back into the middle of the ring. AJ came on powerfully smoking but Franklin is forced to hold him. More clinching and grabbing by nothing boxers.

Round 9:

Joshua secured some good punches as the two men clinched up. Franklin got going reckless, threw his head around in the clinch, drawing another warning from the referee. The clinch parade continued throughout the round.

Round 10:

AJ lands uppercut and a nice hook. Good work from AJ. The round no doubt, belongs to AJ.

Round 11

Joshua landed a huge uppercut and right hand. AJ got the big shots with the right precision.

Round 12:

A big right hook forces Franklin to hold on

April 2, 2023
Anthony Joshua bounces back, defeats Jermaine Franklin by unanimous decision

Anthony Joshua bounced back from two straight defeats to edging out Jermaine Franklin by decision in a cagey affair in London thereby breaking the London jinx.

Joshua was returning to the ring for the first time since losing his rematch with Oleksandr Usyk last year, and a win was essential in order to get his heavyweight career back on track.

And it was indeed the Brit who had his hand raised but he was surprisingly taken the distance by the rugged American who refused to give the Briton an inch.

Joshua defeated the American via a unanimous decision from the judges as their score cards read; 118-111, 117-111, and 117-111 in his favour.

The first round began with Joshua in the ascendency in a chess match-style opening to affairs as he looked to judge the distance and work his leading left jab. After exchanging heated words in centre ring between the rounds, Joshua started to open up slightly in the second stanza with the raucous crowd delighted, but blood came trickling from the nose of the Briton after a series of neat jabs from Franklin.

Joshua continued his impressive style that ensured he didnt lose guard all through the 12 rounds to record a win first time in two years.

The bout was a make or mar one for Joshua who had promised to retire from the sport should he lose his third straight fight.

The win would potentially put him in a good corner to set up potential clashes with the likes of Tyson Fury, Deontay Wilder and many others great heavyweight boxers.

In his post fight analysis Joshia said “It was important to win. Jermaine has a good duck-and-dive style, somebody else from Britain will probably knock him out,”

“I respect him, he did well. I should have knocked him out but it is done. On to the next. He is here to prove himself, not roll over. I wish I could have knocked him out.”

Joshua has now won 25 fights, with 22 stoppages, and lost three since turning professional in 2013.

It is a second defeat for Franklin, 29, having lost to Briton Dillian Whyte in November.

Joshua’s next opponent will be announced in due course before the year runs to an end but a potential bout with Deontay Wilder could be on the cards.

April 2, 2023
Boxing: Joshua at heaviest career fighting weight against Franklin today

No room for defeat for Anthony Joshua‘s fight against American Jermaine Franklin

. The British star of Nigerian heritage will challenge Saturday (Apr. 1st) Franklin at the O2 Arena in London.

The former unified world heavyweight champion tipped the scales at over 110 kg in front of hundreds of fans on Friday, when his contender weighed in at just a little over 106 kg.

Since a series of defeats, Joshua has fallen to the 5th place in the world rankings but promises to fight back.

‘I know I’ve got the possibility of doing it, one hundred percent. But there’s a process to get there, I just follow my process. Pray to God, and what will be, will be.”

If Joshua wins, his promoter expects him to fight again in June and December, with a clash against WBC world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury.

TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports that Joshua is a two-time former unified world heavyweight champion, having held the WBA, IBF, WBO, and IBO titles twice between 2016 and 2021.

At the regional level, he held the British and Commonwealth heavyweight titles from 2015 to 2016.

As of October 2022, Joshua is ranked as the world’s second-best active heavyweight by BoxRec, third by The Ring, and fourth by Transnational Boxing Rankings Board and ESPN, as well as the sixth-best active boxer, pound for pound, by BoxRec.

He has been ranked by BoxRec as among the world’s top 10 heavyweights since 2014 and was ranked at No. 1 at the conclusion of 2016 and 2017.

Joshua’s knockout-to-win percentage stands at 91.67%, with an overall knockout percentage of 63.64% in world heavyweight title fights.

However, Franklin fought Dillian Whyte at Wembley Arena in London, England on November 26, 2022. Whyte won by majority decision, although the decision of that fight was controversial with many scoring the fight as a draw or for Franklin winning.

April 1, 2023
Anthony Joshua vs Jermaine Franklin: Five major talking points

Anthony Joshua’s career is on the line this weekend against Jermaine Franklin at the O2 Arena, the boxing has been tagged a make or mar bout for the one time rave of the moment.

The main event is expected to begin around 5:30 p.m. ET on DAZN.

Anthony Joshua (24-3) has lost his two fights to heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk, including a split-decision loss to Usyk in his last outing this past August.

Jermaine Franklin (21-1) is also looking to rebound from his first career loss in his last outing. Franklin lost to Dillian Whyte via majority decision this past November.

Immediately after losing to Usyk

His erratic behaviour in the direct aftermath of the second defeat to Oleksandr Usyk he regrets, but he didn’t wallow in self pity for long.

Yes, it was massively disappointing but it wasn’t as dark a time as you’d think.

“It wasn’t too dark because I’ve always just got on with it, you can’t stop, stopping is a luxury,” he says.

“When you’re under pressure you put expectations on yourself I didn’t have time to stop but in those quiet times when I’m sitting there and questioning myself I definitely had to soul search a bit.

“Questioning myself, how do I get better, what am I looking for, what’s the purpose, why did I act like that (after the fight), if it happened again how could I do better?

Career Ending Fight ?

Anthony Joshua has said that he would be quitting boxing altogether should he lose his third straight fight against Jamie Franklin today.

The boxer is of the opinion that today’s bout can make or mar his career as a professional boxer but admits that he’s well prepared for it.

Joshua’s Rank dropping

For the first time in seven years — and 13 fights — Joshua isn’t competing with a heavyweight title on the line. Once the fighter to beat in the heavyweight division, Joshua is now No. 4 in ESPN’s rankings behind Tyson Fury, Usyk and Deontay Wilder. The 33-year-old meets American contender Jermaine Franklin on Saturday in London in what could be considered a rebuilding fight for a boxer looking to rediscover his form.

Predictions from Boxing Coaches and analyst

Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn: “I’d say Joshua wins by stoppage inside seven rounds. I’m going for rounds four to six. It’s been a while since we’ve seen an early AJ stoppage but I think you’ll see one.

Unified light-middleweight champion Natasha Jonas: “AJ wins for me. I think he stops him in the middle rounds.”

5 Live analyst Richie Woodhall: “I think this is brilliant matchmaking. Franklin is only 6ft 2in. He’s fairly slow on his feet. I think this is the fight where Anthony Joshua can really shine. And really get in people’s thinking again about being the best heavyweight in the world.”

Olympic champion Lauren Price: “I’m going for an AJ stoppage. An explosive knockout would be good but he needs to win in style. It will be good for his confidence and in front of a home crowd.”

Former featherweight champion Kid Galahad: “AJ knocks him out inside five round. He’ll look sharp and devastating. I expect more focused work to the body under the stewardship of Derrick James.”

April 1, 2023
Heavyweight Boxing: Anthony Joshua’s April 1st opponent emerges

British boxer of Nigerian descent and former two-time heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua’s next boxing opponent has emerged.

The boxer is set to face America’s Jermaine Franklin as he makes his return to the boxing ring on April 1 at the 02 Arena in London and fans are already anticipating seeing the British-Nigerian triumph over the American in the bout.

Franklin lost for the first time in his heavyweight career after losing a hard-fought majority decision loss to Joshua’s rival, Dillian Whyte, which was the first defeat on the 29-year-old’s 22-fight record.

Recall that Joshua’s second world title reign was ended by a unanimous decision loss to Usyk in September 2021, while the Ukrainian retained the WBA, IBF, and WBO belts with a split decision victory in their rematch last August.

Talks are at an advanced stage for Usyk to share the ring with WBC king Tyson Fury in the next few months, while Joshua kicks off his career rebuild April 1.

Saleh Fawaz, CEO of Nigeria’s leading boxing promotional and management company, Saleh Gloves Promotions, told pressmen he believes the fight is perfect to get Joshua back on track and believes the 33-year-old can win the bout.

“It is a good fight. I didn’t think it was a good idea for him to jump into a huge opponent like (Deontay) Wilder, Fury, right away, so I think it is a good fight to get back into the ring and to try and get back to winning ways,”

“I am expecting Joshua to win the fight, but he should also respect Franklin, who fought Whyte last year and went the distance. Unlike Joshua, who only fought once last year, Franklin fought twice and had been inactive for two years. So, this is a sort of comeback for both of them, but Joshua, who knocked out Whyte should be able to beat him with his skillset and longer reach,” Fawaz said.

Joshua’s manager, Eddie Hearn, had previously hinted that a third consecutive loss could signal the end of Joshua’s career and Fawaz agrees with the promoter.

“Because of his losses and poor performances of recent, the ball is not in his court to get the next big fight and it will be all over for him if he loses this fight, even his promoter, Eddie Hearn, was saying that and it is true,” Fawaz added.

January 26, 2023