Anthony
Joshua, a British-Nigerian boxer, has made a triumphant return to the boxing
ring, defeating Jermaine Franklin and bouncing back from a series of losses.
This was his first fight since losing twice
in a row to Ukrainian fighter
Oleksandr Usyk, and he had publicly declared that he would retire if he lost
this important match.
The fight
against Franklin was a significant moment for Joshua, as it was his first win
since his loss to Kubrat Pulev in December 2020. Franklin, who had previously
won his first 20 matches, suffered a defeat in his UK debut against Dillian
Whyte.
During the
first round of the fight, Joshua landed a jab to Franklin’s face, prompting
Franklin to respond with shots over the top. Although Joshua was in control,
neither he nor Franklin were willing to take any risks. In the second round,
Franklin tackled Joshua, causing him to bleed from his nose. Joshua responded
by moving more nimbly around the target, while Franklin continued to fire off
jabs.
In the third
round, Joshua missed with a right, and Franklin charged him down. The fourth
round saw Joshua throwing a one-two combination that missed, and Franklin
returning fire. The fight went on for twelve rounds, after which Joshua was
declared the winner by a unanimous decision.
However, a
scuffle broke out in the ring after the final bell, as Joshua appeared to tap
Franklin and the two clashed. Their trainers quickly intervened and restored
order. Speaking after the incident, Joshua expressed his desire to compete for
the WBC heavyweight championship of the world against Tyson Fury.
Joshua
apologized for the scuffle, stating that he respected Franklin and all the
fans. He also praised Franklin’s “duck and dive” style and remarked
that he should have knocked him out. Overall, Joshua seemed pleased with his
performance and expressed gratitude to his fans for their support.
