It’s a must-win fight for Anthony Joshua
There’s no doubting the importance of Anthony Joshua’s fight against American Jermaine Franklin this weekend.
The former two-time world champion is coming off the back of consecutive unanimous decision losses at the hands of Oleksandr Usyk – and if he is to succumb to a third straight defeat as the considerable favourite in the Anthony Joshua v Jermaine Franklin odds at the O2 Arena this Saturday – the Watford native’s time as an elite heavyweight will be considered all but done.
Additionally, while most other boxers would take a victory by any means necessary to simply return to the winner’s column – for Joshua – that won’t be enough in the eyes of many fans and pundits alike. Not only does Joshua need to win, he needs to win in style.
Throughout his rise to prominence, the man affectionately known as ‘AJ’ was notorious for his brutal punching power and frightening ability to finish fights when he smelt blood in the water. It ensured he was must-see TV, and seemingly overnight, Joshua became one of the most recognisable stars in world sport.
With knockout victories over the likes of London foe Dillian Whyte, world champion Charles Martin and multiple-time world title challenger Dominic Brezeale – AJ was rapidly on track to becoming Britain’s most acclaimed heavyweight in history. The hype surrounding Joshua only strengthened in 2017, when the then 28-year-old got off the canvas in the sixth round to stop former unified heavyweight champion and Hall of Famer Wladimir Klitschko in the 11th round.
His stock was at an all-time high after that fateful night at Wembley Stadium – however, unfortunately for Joshua – it has been trending downward ever since. Despite securing the WBO belt from Joseph Parker and notching up wins against Carlos Takam and a fading Alexander Povetkin – Joshua needed another couple of signature wins to solidify his legacy.
Then came the disaster that was his American debut. Taking place at the famed Madison Square Garden, Joshua fought late replacement Andy Ruiz Jr. in what was being billed as a tune-up bout before a potential unification meeting with then WBC champion Deontay Wilder. It went horribly wrong, as AJ was defeated by technical knockout in the seventh round after being dropped multiple times throughout the fight. It was one of the biggest upsets in recent memory, and shook up the blue-riband division immensely.
Although he would exact his revenge in Saudi Arabia six months later, it was a completely different Joshua than the one we had seen in years’ past. Rather than utilise his thudding power and considerable size advantage, AJ chose to rely on his reach and mostly stuck behind his jab for the entirety of the fight. While some viewed it as him adding a wrinkle to his arsenal, others felt it was evidence of a more timid version of Joshua.
The latter of those opinions hasn’t left Joshua, as although he managed to knock out mandatory challenger Kubrat Pulev in the ninth round of their bout in 2020 – his unwillingness to pull the trigger in his most recent pair of fights with Usyk makes you wonder whether he’s lost that killer instinct. Does he have the athleticism, power and skill to return to the Joshua of old? Absolutely. However, does he have the confidence and self-belief to do so? That’s something that still needs answering – and his upcoming bout with Franklin provides him the perfect opportunity to show it.