Tag: Jermaine Franklin

Weekend Review: Anthony Joshua is winner – and loser – in uninspiring victory

Weekend Review: Anthony Joshua was a winner – and a loser – in his uninspiring victory over Jermaine Franklin on Saturday in London.

A critical look at the past week in boxing

BIGGEST WINNER
Anthony Joshua

The former heavyweight champion’s new trainer Derrick James said after the fact that all he wanted was a victory over Jermaine Franklin on Saturday at O2 Arena in London. Decision or knockout, it didn’t matter. Mission accomplished. Joshua controlled the fight from the outset with his power jab and plenty of hard, accurate right hands. The smaller Franklin was willing but didn’t have the wherewithal to avoid the incoming shots or deliver his own with any consistency. Thus, no one was surprised when the official scores were announced: 118-111, 117-111 and 117-111, which was music to the ears of those close to Joshua. He was back in the win column after three long years and had taken a significant step in the right direction following crippling back-to-back losses against Oleksander Usyk. The victory could lead directly to a showdown against countryman and titleholder Tyson Fury. Or, if that’s not possible immediately, Deontay Wilder and Dillian Whyte are viable options on Joshua’s continuing journey of redemption. Bottom line: Joshua is back in business.

 

BIGGEST LOSER
Anthony Joshua

Anthony Joshua got the victory but didn’t make a strong statement.  James Chance / Getty Images

Joshua got the job done but it wasn’t his finest hour. And that might not bode well for him. Let’s face it: He has never been the same since Andy Ruiz Jr. hurt him in the third round and stopped him in the seventh in an unforgettable 2019 upset. He rebounded by outpointing Ruiz in the rematch and then knocking out 39-year-old Pulev but the ferocious knockout artist of the pre-Ruiz years was gone, having given way to a capable, but careful boxer who has no interest in taking unnecessary risks lest he be stopped again. The old, confident Joshua would’ve destroyed a second-tier opponent like Franklin. The current version spent as much time holding his frustrated opponent as punching him late in the fight, when Franklin was particularly vulnerable to a knockout. That was a bad look. Joshua wanted to stop Franklin, he wanted to make a statement, he wanted to show everyone that he’s still the great heavyweight who took out Hall of Famer Wladimir Klitschko in 2017. The problem for him? That’s no longer who he is.

 

BIGGEST MISMATCH?
Fury vs. Joshua

Could Joshua beat Tyson Fury? Ringo Chiu, Fayez Nureldine / AFP via Getty Images

One should never count out a fighter as talented as Joshua. And make no mistake: Joshua is a fine boxer, as he demonstrated in his second fight with Usyk. He came within a handful punches of turning the tables on his Ukrainian rival, which would’ve been a major accomplishment. I just don’t see how this version of Joshua beats Fury, however. Fury is bigger, better and mentally much tougher than the skittish Joshua. Joshua might be a bigger puncher but how far is that going to take him? He couldn’t stop Franklin. Can he be expected to do so against a man who survived three fights against Deontay Wilder? It doesn’t seem likely. The fight might look a lot like Fury’s meeting with the 39-year-old Klitschko, who has a similar style to Joshua. He fought behind his strong jab and pounded his opponents with straight right hands. A younger, less experienced Fury neutralized everything Klitschko tried to do and won a clear decision in his break-out fight. Would it be any different against Joshua? Not likely.

 

RABBIT PUNCHCES

Roy Jones Jr., 54, lost a majority decision in a sanctioned bout against former UFC champion Anthony Pettis on Saturday in Milwaukee even though Pettis had no boxing experience. And Jones (66-10, 47 KOs) said more such fights are to come. Fighters in their mid-50s shouldn’t be allowed to take part in sanctioned bouts, in which both parties are expected to hold nothing back in the most dangerous of sports. Shame on officials in Wisconsin. Why not take part in exhibitions if Jones wants to stay in the game, as he did with Mike Tyson in 2020? Then the participants can put on a show and make money without taking risks inherent in genuine fights. This just doesn’t feel right. … Robeisy Ramirez (12-1, 7 KOs) climbed all the way back from his disastrous loss in his pro debut, outclassing and easily outpointing former 122-pound beltholder Isaac Dogboe (24-3, 15 KOs) to win a vacant 126-pound title Saturday in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Obviously the two-time Olympic champion from Cuba is an excellent boxer. And he’s going to get better if he remains focused. The southpaw relies almost solely on spacing and his left hand. If he would use his jab and throw more combinations, he could be scary good. … Dogboe didn’t handle his post-fight interview well, arguing in so many words that he was robbed and demanding a rematch. Let’s not be too hard on him; his emotions got the better of him. But, c’mon. It wasn’t a close fight. And he’s not getting a rematch. It’s almost always best to say something like, “Hey, it wasn’t my night tonight,” and move on.

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Weekend Review: Anthony Joshua is winner – and loser – in uninspiring victory

Weekend Review: Anthony Joshua was a winner – and a loser – in his uninspiring victory over Jermaine Franklin on Saturday in London.

A critical look at the past week in boxing

BIGGEST WINNER
Anthony Joshua

The former heavyweight champion’s new trainer Derrick James said after the fact that all he wanted was a victory over Jermaine Franklin on Saturday at O2 Arena in London. Decision or knockout, it didn’t matter. Mission accomplished. Joshua controlled the fight from the outset with his power jab and plenty of hard, accurate right hands. The smaller Franklin was willing but didn’t have the wherewithal to avoid the incoming shots or deliver his own with any consistency. Thus, no one was surprised when the official scores were announced: 118-111, 117-111 and 117-111, which was music to the ears of those close to Joshua. He was back in the win column after three long years and had taken a significant step in the right direction following crippling back-to-back losses against Oleksander Usyk. The victory could lead directly to a showdown against countryman and titleholder Tyson Fury. Or, if that’s not possible immediately, Deontay Wilder and Dillian Whyte are viable options on Joshua’s continuing journey of redemption. Bottom line: Joshua is back in business.

 

BIGGEST LOSER
Anthony Joshua

Anthony Joshua got the victory but didn’t make a strong statement.  James Chance / Getty Images

Joshua got the job done but it wasn’t his finest hour. And that might not bode well for him. Let’s face it: He has never been the same since Andy Ruiz Jr. hurt him in the third round and stopped him in the seventh in an unforgettable 2019 upset. He rebounded by outpointing Ruiz in the rematch and then knocking out 39-year-old Pulev but the ferocious knockout artist of the pre-Ruiz years was gone, having given way to a capable, but careful boxer who has no interest in taking unnecessary risks lest he be stopped again. The old, confident Joshua would’ve destroyed a second-tier opponent like Franklin. The current version spent as much time holding his frustrated opponent as punching him late in the fight, when Franklin was particularly vulnerable to a knockout. That was a bad look. Joshua wanted to stop Franklin, he wanted to make a statement, he wanted to show everyone that he’s still the great heavyweight who took out Hall of Famer Wladimir Klitschko in 2017. The problem for him? That’s no longer who he is.

 

BIGGEST MISMATCH?
Fury vs. Joshua

Could Joshua beat Tyson Fury? Ringo Chiu, Fayez Nureldine / AFP via Getty Images

One should never count out a fighter as talented as Joshua. And make no mistake: Joshua is a fine boxer, as he demonstrated in his second fight with Usyk. He came within a handful punches of turning the tables on his Ukrainian rival, which would’ve been a major accomplishment. I just don’t see how this version of Joshua beats Fury, however. Fury is bigger, better and mentally much tougher than the skittish Joshua. Joshua might be a bigger puncher but how far is that going to take him? He couldn’t stop Franklin. Can he be expected to do so against a man who survived three fights against Deontay Wilder? It doesn’t seem likely. The fight might look a lot like Fury’s meeting with the 39-year-old Klitschko, who has a similar style to Joshua. He fought behind his strong jab and pounded his opponents with straight right hands. A younger, less experienced Fury neutralized everything Klitschko tried to do and won a clear decision in his break-out fight. Would it be any different against Joshua? Not likely.

 

RABBIT PUNCHCES

Roy Jones Jr., 54, lost a majority decision in a sanctioned bout against former UFC champion Anthony Pettis on Saturday in Milwaukee even though Pettis had no boxing experience. And Jones (66-10, 47 KOs) said more such fights are to come. Fighters in their mid-50s shouldn’t be allowed to take part in sanctioned bouts, in which both parties are expected to hold nothing back in the most dangerous of sports. Shame on officials in Wisconsin. Why not take part in exhibitions if Jones wants to stay in the game, as he did with Mike Tyson in 2020? Then the participants can put on a show and make money without taking risks inherent in genuine fights. This just doesn’t feel right. … Robeisy Ramirez (12-1, 7 KOs) climbed all the way back from his disastrous loss in his pro debut, outclassing and easily outpointing former 122-pound beltholder Isaac Dogboe (24-3, 15 KOs) to win a vacant 126-pound title Saturday in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Obviously the two-time Olympic champion from Cuba is an excellent boxer. And he’s going to get better if he remains focused. The southpaw relies almost solely on spacing and his left hand. If he would use his jab and throw more combinations, he could be scary good. … Dogboe didn’t handle his post-fight interview well, arguing in so many words that he was robbed and demanding a rematch. Let’s not be too hard on him; his emotions got the better of him. But, c’mon. It wasn’t a close fight. And he’s not getting a rematch. It’s almost always best to say something like, “Hey, it wasn’t my night tonight,” and move on.

[lawrence-related id=36501,36492,36456,36450]

Photos: Anthony Joshua’s one-sided victory over Jermaine Franklin

Photos: Anthony Joshua’s one-sided victory over Jermaine Franklin.

Former heavyweight champ Anthony Joshua defeated Jermaine Franklin by a one-sided decision Saturday at O2 Arena in London.

The official scores were 118-111, 117-111 and 117-111. Boxing Junkie scored it 118-110, 10 rounds to two.

Here are images from the fight. All photos by James Chance of Getty Images.

Photos: Anthony Joshua’s one-sided victory over Jermaine Franklin

Photos: Anthony Joshua’s one-sided victory over Jermaine Franklin.

Former heavyweight champ Anthony Joshua defeated Jermaine Franklin by a one-sided decision Saturday at O2 Arena in London.

The official scores were 118-111, 117-111 and 117-111. Boxing Junkie scored it 118-110, 10 rounds to two.

Here are images from the fight. All photos by James Chance of Getty Images.

Anthony Joshua gets victory over Jermaine Franklin but fails to make statement

Anthony Joshua claimed a victory over Jermaine Franklin but failed to make a statement Saturday in London.

Was it one of Anthony Joshua’s best performances? Far from it. Was it a step in the right direction? A small one.

Joshua demonstrated that he is a level above the shorter, lighter Jermaine Franklin, outboxing the American to win a one-sided decision at O2 Arena in London. It was the former unified champ’s first victory since 2020.

That was the good news.

The bad news was that he still didn’t fight with his pre-Andy Ruiz Jr. ferocity and failed to score a knockout even though Franklin seemed ripe for one late in the fight, which left his fans disappointed and allowed questions about Joshua to linger.

At the same time, a victory is a victory. And this one could lead to big things, possibly even a shot at beltholder Tyson Fury.

“I wish I could’ve knocked him out, 100 percent,” Joshua said, “but in the next 15 years no one is going to remember that fight anyway.”

That’s true. It was forgettable.

Joshua (25-3, 22 KOs) was coming off back-to-back losses to Oleksandr Usyk, the first of which cost him his heavyweight titles.

The former champ needed to get back into the win column and, in a perfect world, make a statement in the process to put his fellow contenders on notice. The first part of that goal turned out to easy.

Joshua fought tentatively in the early rounds but controlled them, connecting repeatedly with his stiff jab and following with hard, accurate right hands to keep the aggressive Franklin at a safe distance.

Gaining confidence by the middle rounds, Joshua became more assertive. He stood his ground, even taking the fight to Franklin. He was still jabbing but throwing and landing more power shots, which began to wear down his overmatched opponent.

And anytime Franklin got close enough to even think about turning the tide, Joshua tied him up, which frustrated both underdog and those hoping to see a competitive fight down the stretch.

The only drama in the late rounds was whether Joshua could find a way to take out Franklin (21-2, 14 KOs). Joshua didn’t exactly throw caution to the wind but he continued to throw ill-intended power punchers. Franklin simply has a good chin and was determined to survive.

So Joshua had to settle for a wide decision in his first fight with respected trainer Derrick James. The official scores were 118-111, 117-111 and 117-111. Boxing Junkie scored it 118-110, 10 rounds to Two.

“For me it was all about him coming out and getting the win,” James said. “Like I said, I don’t care how he won it. I just wanted him to win. After this, we’ll come back and build and build and build. …

“… Toward the end, yeah, he looked like [Franklin[ was ready to go. I told [Joshua] to pick up the pace a bit in the last couple of rounds. That comes with time. With more and more work together, he’ll more and more be able to do exactly what I need him to do.”

Is this version of Joshua ready to take on Fury, who is generally considered the best heavyweight in the world? Well, we might find out.

Joshua was asked in the ring about what might come next. He said, “I know who the fans want. Who do the fans want?” The packed crowd at O2 loudly and clearly gave him the response he expected, “Fury!.”

“The ball is in his court,” Joshua said of his rival, with whom he engaged in failed negotiations late last year. “I would be 100 percent honored to compete for the WBC heavyweight championship of the world. … If you’re listening, you know my management, you know my promoter.

“We’ve had dialogue before. Let’s continue this and hopefully we can get this sorted out sooner rather than later. We’re not getting any younger.”

Said his promoter, Eddie Hearn: “We’re willing to entertain those conversations now, to go straight into a Tyson Fury fight in the summer. You got Dillian Whyte down there [in the arena]. You got Deontay Wilder. You got a lot of good fighters.

“I think he’s going to improve under Derrick James. There was a lot of pressure [on Saturday] and a lot of improvements to make. At the same time, he’s going to want the big fights as well.”

Only one thing is certain, according to Joshua: He’ll be back in the ring this summer. We’ll see who’s standing across from him.

Anthony Joshua gets victory over Jermaine Franklin but fails to make statement

Anthony Joshua claimed a victory over Jermaine Franklin but failed to make a statement Saturday in London.

Was it one of Anthony Joshua’s best performances? Far from it. Was it a step in the right direction? A small one.

Joshua demonstrated that he is a level above the shorter, lighter Jermaine Franklin, outboxing the American to win a one-sided decision at O2 Arena in London. It was the former unified champ’s first victory since 2020.

That was the good news.

The bad news was that he still didn’t fight with his pre-Andy Ruiz Jr. ferocity and failed to score a knockout even though Franklin seemed ripe for one late in the fight, which left his fans disappointed and allowed questions about Joshua to linger.

At the same time, a victory is a victory. And this one could lead to big things, possibly even a shot at beltholder Tyson Fury.

“I wish I could’ve knocked him out, 100 percent,” Joshua said, “but in the next 15 years no one is going to remember that fight anyway.”

That’s true. It was forgettable.

Joshua (25-3, 22 KOs) was coming off back-to-back losses to Oleksandr Usyk, the first of which cost him his heavyweight titles.

The former champ needed to get back into the win column and, in a perfect world, make a statement in the process to put his fellow contenders on notice. The first part of that goal turned out to easy.

Joshua fought tentatively in the early rounds but controlled them, connecting repeatedly with his stiff jab and following with hard, accurate right hands to keep the aggressive Franklin at a safe distance.

Gaining confidence by the middle rounds, Joshua became more assertive. He stood his ground, even taking the fight to Franklin. He was still jabbing but throwing and landing more power shots, which began to wear down his overmatched opponent.

And anytime Franklin got close enough to even think about turning the tide, Joshua tied him up, which frustrated both underdog and those hoping to see a competitive fight down the stretch.

The only drama in the late rounds was whether Joshua could find a way to take out Franklin (21-2, 14 KOs). Joshua didn’t exactly throw caution to the wind but he continued to throw ill-intended power punchers. Franklin simply has a good chin and was determined to survive.

So Joshua had to settle for a wide decision in his first fight with respected trainer Derrick James. The official scores were 118-111, 117-111 and 117-111. Boxing Junkie scored it 118-110, 10 rounds to Two.

“For me it was all about him coming out and getting the win,” James said. “Like I said, I don’t care how he won it. I just wanted him to win. After this, we’ll come back and build and build and build. …

“… Toward the end, yeah, he looked like [Franklin[ was ready to go. I told [Joshua] to pick up the pace a bit in the last couple of rounds. That comes with time. With more and more work together, he’ll more and more be able to do exactly what I need him to do.”

Is this version of Joshua ready to take on Fury, who is generally considered the best heavyweight in the world? Well, we might find out.

Joshua was asked in the ring about what might come next. He said, “I know who the fans want. Who do the fans want?” The packed crowd at O2 loudly and clearly gave him the response he expected, “Fury!.”

“The ball is in his court,” Joshua said of his rival, with whom he engaged in failed negotiations late last year. “I would be 100 percent honored to compete for the WBC heavyweight championship of the world. … If you’re listening, you know my management, you know my promoter.

“We’ve had dialogue before. Let’s continue this and hopefully we can get this sorted out sooner rather than later. We’re not getting any younger.”

Said his promoter, Eddie Hearn: “We’re willing to entertain those conversations now, to go straight into a Tyson Fury fight in the summer. You got Dillian Whyte down there [in the arena]. You got Deontay Wilder. You got a lot of good fighters.

“I think he’s going to improve under Derrick James. There was a lot of pressure [on Saturday] and a lot of improvements to make. At the same time, he’s going to want the big fights as well.”

Only one thing is certain, according to Joshua: He’ll be back in the ring this summer. We’ll see who’s standing across from him.

Anthony Joshua vs. Jermaine Franklin odds, picks and predictions

Breaking down Saturday’s Anthony Joshua vs. Jermaine Franklin heavyweight fight, with boxing odds, picks and predictions.

In a 12-round heavyweight bout, Anthony Joshua meets Jermaine Franklin on Saturday afternoon at O2 Arena in London. The fight card is scheduled for 2 p.m. ET, with the main event scheduled for approximately 4:30 p.m. ET. Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the Joshua vs. Franklin odds, and make our expert boxing picks and predictions.

Joshua looks to get back on track after a pair of decision setbacks to Oleksandr Usyk in his past 2 outings.

On Sept. 25, 2021, Joshua lost the IBF, IBO, WBA and WBO heavyweight belts to Usyk at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, losing by unanimous decision. The 2 pugilists met at Jeddah Superdome Aug. 20, 2022, in a rematch, and Joshua was again on the short end in a narrow split-decision loss.

In his most-recent loss, one judge scored the fight 115-113 in Joshua’s favor, but another had him down 116-112 on points, and the other 115-113 going for Usyk.

His last victory was a KO win over Kubrat Pulev at Wembley Arena, following up a unanimous-decision win over Andy Ruiz in Saudi Arabia.

Franklin is coming off his 1st-career setback, a majority-decision loss to Dillian Whyte at Wembley in Nov. 2022. He had won his first 21 career bouts, including 14 via knockout. The 29-year-old, a.k.a. “989 Assassin”, stands 4 inches shorter than his Briton counterpart, while giving up 5 inches in reach, too.

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[gambcom-standard rankid=”3012″ ]

Joshua vs. Franklin odds

Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at at 10:20 a.m. ET.

  • Fight result (2-way line): Anthony Joshua -1000 (bet $1,000 to win $100) | Jermaine Franklin +600 (bet $100 to win $600)
  • Over/Under: 8 rounds (Over -120 | Under -120)
  • Will the fight go the distance? (Yes +300 | No -450)

Joshua vs. Franklin picks and predictions

Records: Joshua (24-3-0, 22 KOs) | Franklin (21-1-0, 14 KOs)

Fight result (2-way line or moneyline)

Joshua (-1000) is going to bounce back, especially fighting in his native England in front of a raucous crowd. However, you cannot bet 10 times your potential return under any circumstances, especially on a fighter who has lost his past 2 outings.

However, Joshua enters with tremendous physical advantages, standing 4 inches taller than Franklin (+600), while holding a 5-inch reach advantage. Joshua will be able to pick and choose his spots for getting close to Franklin, trying to deliver a knockout blow, while keeping the challenger at a distance when he feels.

Joshua by KO/TKO/Technical Decision or DQ (-350) is also quite expensive, costing you 3 1/2 times your potential return. In a parlay, it might be worth pursuing, but as a singular bet, PASS.

Over/Under (O/U)

Instead of declaring a straight up winner, let’s focus on the Over/Under and Round Betting.

I think Franklin is able to hang around a while. I don’t expect him to win outright, but he isn’t a tomato can, either, and will make Joshua work for this.

As such, I like the fight to go 7 ROUNDS OR MORE (-160). In addition, JOSHUA IN ROUNDS 9-12 (+350) is an attractive play.

No (-450): Will the fight go the full 12 rounds? is also not a recommended play, as the reward is too small versus the risk.

To subscribe to DAZN and watch this, sign up here.

Visit Boxing Junkie for more fight news and analysis.

[gambcom-standard rankid=”5″ ]

For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.

Follow Kevin J. Erickson on Twitter. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and us on Facebook.

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Anthony Joshua vs. Jermaine Franklin: LIVE updates, results, full coverage

Anthony Joshua vs. Jermaine Franklin: LIVE updates, results, full coverage.

Former heavyweight champ Anthony Joshua defeated Jermaine Franklin by a one-sided decision Saturday at O2 Arena in London.

The official scores were 118-111, 117-111 and 117-111. Boxing Junkie scored it 118-110, 10 rounds to two.

Joshua (25-3, 22 KOs) had a simple strategy, jab consistently and throw overhand right hands. And, later in the fight, he held Franklin any time the American got close to him.

The frustrated Franklin (21-2, 14 KOs) never stopped trying but was unable to land enough punches to win rounds.

Joshua was coming off back-to-back decision losses to Oleksandr Usyk, the first of which cost him his titles.

You can read a full report here.

***

Good evening (afternoon on the U.S. West coast)!

Joshua and Franklin are in the ring. We’re a few minutes away from the heavyweight fight at O2 Arena in London (DAZN).

Will Joshua overwhelm Franklin, as the oddsmakers seem to expect? Or will Franklin deliver a genuine challenge following his solid performance against Dillian Whyte?

We’ll know soon.

***

Former unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua will return to the ring against Jermaine Franklin on Saturday night at O2 Arena in London (DAZN).

Joshua (24-3, 22 KOs) is coming off back-to-back losses to Oleksandr Usyk. Franklin (21-1, 14 KOs) lost a majority decision to Dillian Whyte in his last bout.

The featured fights on the card begin at 2 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. PT (7 p.m. U.K. time). The main event will take place later in show.

Boxing Junkie will post the results of the main event immediately after it ends. Simply return to this post and refresh when the time comes.

Full coverage – a fight story, photo gallery and analysis – will follow on separate posts the day of the fight and the following day.

Enjoy the fights!

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Anthony Joshua vs. Jermaine Franklin: LIVE updates, results, full coverage

Anthony Joshua vs. Jermaine Franklin: LIVE updates, results, full coverage.

Former heavyweight champ Anthony Joshua defeated Jermaine Franklin by a one-sided decision Saturday at O2 Arena in London.

The official scores were 118-111, 117-111 and 117-111. Boxing Junkie scored it 118-110, 10 rounds to two.

Joshua (25-3, 22 KOs) had a simple strategy, jab consistently and throw overhand right hands. And, later in the fight, he held Franklin any time the American got close to him.

The frustrated Franklin (21-2, 14 KOs) never stopped trying but was unable to land enough punches to win rounds.

Joshua was coming off back-to-back decision losses to Oleksandr Usyk, the first of which cost him his titles.

You can read a full report here.

***

Good evening (afternoon on the U.S. West coast)!

Joshua and Franklin are in the ring. We’re a few minutes away from the heavyweight fight at O2 Arena in London (DAZN).

Will Joshua overwhelm Franklin, as the oddsmakers seem to expect? Or will Franklin deliver a genuine challenge following his solid performance against Dillian Whyte?

We’ll know soon.

***

Former unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua will return to the ring against Jermaine Franklin on Saturday night at O2 Arena in London (DAZN).

Joshua (24-3, 22 KOs) is coming off back-to-back losses to Oleksandr Usyk. Franklin (21-1, 14 KOs) lost a majority decision to Dillian Whyte in his last bout.

The featured fights on the card begin at 2 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. PT (7 p.m. U.K. time). The main event will take place later in show.

Boxing Junkie will post the results of the main event immediately after it ends. Simply return to this post and refresh when the time comes.

Full coverage – a fight story, photo gallery and analysis – will follow on separate posts the day of the fight and the following day.

Enjoy the fights!

[lawrence-related id=36435,36426,36420,36412,36392]

Video: Anthony Joshua outweighs Jermaine Franklin by 21.3 pounds

Video: Anthony Joshua on Friday weighed in 21.3 pounds heavier than Jermaine Franklin for their fight Saturday in London.

Anthony Joshua came in at a career high, Jermaine Franklin at better weight than his previous few fights.

The fighters weighed in Friday afternoon for their heavyweight fight Saturday night at O2 Arena in London (DAZN), with Joshua at 255.4 pounds and Franklin at 234.1.

That’s the most Joshua (24-3, 22 KOs)) has weighed for any fight but not by much. He was 254.0 for his meeting with Carlos Takam in 2017. He weighed 244.5 for his most recent fight, a decision loss in his rematch with the relatively small, quick Oleksandr Usyk in August.

Franklin (21-1, 14 KOs) will be at his lightest since he weighed 231.5 for his fight with Pavel Sour in 2019, after which he left the sport for two-plus years.

He returned much heavier, 277.5 for his comeback fight against Rodney Moore last May and 257.0 for a bout with Dillian Whyte he took on late notice in November. He lost to Whyte by a disputed majority decision.

The native of Saginaw, Michigan, has now worked himself back into shape.

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