Anthony Joshua and Jermaine Franklin will meet this weekend in a fight which will provide a defining moment in Joshua’s career. The fight is set to take place on Saturday evening and it’s a must-win fight for AJ as he himself has stated that he will retire if he fails to beat Franklin.
The odds suggest that it’ll be a walk in the park for the former world champion, but those who follow boxing in some form of regularity, know that we shouldn’t be so quick to write Franklin off completely.
Joshua needs to finish victorious if he wants a chance of reigning as king of the heavyweight division once more. Joshua has had a difficult few years, suffering a shock defeat to Andy Ruiz Jr, and then losing his world titles to the impressive Oleksandr Usyk. His losses to Usyk were disappointing as the Ukrainian outclassed him over 24 successive rounds, but there’s no shame in that.
Joshua has been working hard to ensure that he is in the best possible shape for this fight, and he’s made some big changes as he’s been training in Dallas, Texas, under the guidance of new trainer Derrick James. It’ll be interesting to see if that pays dividends.
Franklin is bullish on causing an upset this weekend, and it’s worth noting that he’s in incredible shape compared to what we saw from him in the Dillian Whyte fight. He has never fought at the level of Joshua before, so this is where we’ll see if he has the capabilities of mixing it with the titans at the top of the heavyweight division.
The fight between Joshua and Franklin has been billed as a clash of two heavyweights with contrasting styles. Joshua is known for his power and aggressive approach, while Franklin is a more technical fighter who relies on his speed and footwork. It will be interesting to see how the two fighters adapt to each other’s styles, and who comes out on top.
For Joshua, this fight is a must-win if he is to have any chance of regaining his world titles and cementing his place as one of the best boxers in the world. He knows that a loss would be disastrous for his career, and has stated that he is willing to retire if he fails to beat Franklin. It is clear that Joshua is taking this fight very seriously, and is fully focused on the task at hand.
Prediction and betting odds
Anthony Joshua goes into this fight as a huge favourite. He’s 1.08 to win the fight, which means for every £10 you stake, you’ll get a whopping 83 pence in profit returned should he end up victorious.
Joshua is 1.25 to win by KO/TKO which makes sense on paper, when you look at his physical attributes such as height and punching reach. He’s also a knockout artist when you look at the list of wins throughout his career. With all that said, 1.25 doesn’t represent value.
If you’re wanting me to suggest what does look like good value, then I’d have to say Anthony Joshua to win via any points-based decision at 6.00 (5/1). Ever since AJ suffered that shock knockout defeat at the hands of Andy Ruiz Jr at Madison Square Garden, he’s adopted more of a cautious safety-first approach in the ring.
There’s a chance that Anthony Joshua could blow his opponent away, but there’s also a chance that people are underestimating Jermaine Franklin’s abilities. Franklin lost a majority decision against Dillian Whyte last time out, but he certainly impressed and there was an argument for the fight being unfairly judged.
Anthony Joshua vs Jermaine Franklin
1st April
start time 22:00 Anthony Joshua to win on points
Ever since AJ suffered that shock knockout defeat at the hands of Andy Ruiz Jr at Madison Square Garden, he’s adopted more of a cautious safety-first approach in the ring.
There’s a chance that Anthony Joshua could blow his opponent away, but there’s also a chance that people are underestimating Jermaine Franklin’s abilities. Franklin lost a majority decision against Dillian Whyte last time out, but he certainly impressed and there was an argument for the fight being unfairly judged.
