Jermaine Franklin has a surprising view on how the Joshua-Ngannou fight could go
Elite heavyweight contender and former Anthony Joshua opponent Jermaine Franklin spilled some insider information on how Francis Ngannou could beat his former foe, listing five exact points to follow to victory.
Speaking to Action Network, Franklin said: “AJ should win this fight on paper, but my heart and gut is saying Francis wins by KO.
“I just think back to the Ruiz fight, how Ruiz just kept coming forward and throwing punches and catching AJ. I think we will see a repeat of what happened at Madison Square Garden when AJ was stopped on his American debut.
“I think AJ will box well, but when Francis eventually detonates, we may see AJ sent to the canvas on multiple occasions. Francis must brawl to win like Ruiz did, and I think if he does, he will win by knockout. AJ is a great fighter, but every fighter’s chin is different. AJ does not have the best chin, so one punch can change this fight for Francis.
“Also, AJ does not like chasing guys around the ring. AJ’s main weakness is AJ. If he feels he cannot knock you out he will start to hold and grab and that is when you get him. He did that to me in our fight if you look at the tape.”
Despite dropping to a third defeat in 2022, Joshua was able to rebound with three straight victories during 2023, starting with the 12-round battle against Franklin in April, followed by a sensational one-punch KO in round seven against Robert Helenius, culminating in a dominant beatdown over five rounds to force tough Swede Otto Wallin to retire in the fifth in December.
The back to back knockouts reignited excitement among fight fans that the old AJ finally has his confidence back, but not according the Michigan man, who stated, “AJ had all the confidence before Wallin. AJ is an exceptionally good fighter. AJ knew he was going into the Wallin fight that Otto could not manage his speed and power. So, I would not say he regained it against Wallin. I personally do not think he ever lost it.”
He then advised Ngannou to bully Anthony Joshua out of the ring and shock the world, “Francis needs to do these five things: 1. He needs to come out fast and bully AJ, AJ does not like to be bullied.
“2. He must use his jab to set up his power, he cannot look for one shot to take him out.
“3. Francis needs to stay patient and wait for the opening like he did with Fury.
“4. He will need to take AJ’s power, and if he can do that, he has a major chance to win.
“5. He must focus on working the body and using angles to counter AJ’s power.
‘It would shock the world if he wins, but if Francis does those things, he wins for me, he has the heart and power. This man is coming to win. Not saying AJ is not doing the same thing but a fighter who has nothing to lose is a dangerous fighter. Francis is also a smart fighter. When you look at his fight with Fury, he broke Fury down during some of those rounds. He has the power and ring intelligence to get the job done.
“Francis must realise that he is not going to outbox AJ. I wanted to work AJ on the inside and counter his power to the body and use my jab to set up my power shots, for the first four to five rounds I was doing that and then I got frustrated. AJ is a boxer with power and tons of ring experience. He must use his big body and strength to wear AJ down and fight going forward. Francis is a big puncher – he knocked Fury down – so he must go forward using his jab and get physical with him.”
Joshua-Ngannou takes place on March 8 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, live on DAZN and Sky Sports (PPV).