Before Anthony Joshua vs Jermaine Franklin on Saturday, Betfred .’s Light Boxing Show spoke to both fighters, as well as Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, about what’s next for them after the bout, AJ’s experience and what he must do to fight Tyson Fury.
Anthony Joshua’s thoughts on his view that he is relatively inexperienced as a professional fighter compared to other fighters of the same level.
“This is what was said about Lawrence Okolie. He’s had 18 amateur and 19 professional matches, so even though he’s defending his title, you can see he’s still learning. I entered the fight with pure confidence because I was aware of the work I did and that was the approach I had to take.
“I wish I had started playing professionally at a young age and been fighting more, but in reality that didn’t happen. It doesn’t give me a false sense of confidence because imagine me moving at a speed where I have to fight a bunch of people who aren’t at the level I need to be tested. Then I go to another level where the competition is better and I’m not used to that. Yes, I don’t have a lot of fights, but the ones I’ve been through have been tough and challenging. First, I wouldn’t mind a challenge and second, it helped build my character and showed me what it took to reach the top level of boxing. That helped me a lot.”
Eddie Hearn on why the fight against Jermaine Franklin matters to Anthony Joshua.
“Those who watch the game at O2, or on DAZN, will be more worried about this match than any he has ever been in. I will worry because there are so many unknowns. Where is he physically and mentally? How strong is he? How’s his chin? What we do know is that he has desire, ambition, a great new coach and he is the strongest he has ever had in his career, but that just happened at the time. There was a lot of pressure and he could just say it was a different fight, but I’m sorry, because on the one hand, you can take down Franklin and maybe fight Tyson Fury, and on the other hand, if you don’t look good, or you lose, your career is over.
“I just want him to continue this momentum and he was right in his press conference when he said that belts can sometimes get in the way of your career. Now you see it with Oleksandr Usyk, he has three mandatory missions, his undisputed fight is over and he probably won’t fight until June, July and last. with him fighting was last September, so he will have two fights in two years. No belt needed, AJ just needs to be active, start enjoying it again and I want to see him knock someone out seven kettles of shit.
Eddie Hearn on what’s next for Anthony Joshua if he beats Jermaine Franklin.
“If he goes there and puts in an impressive performance, the whole UK will say, ‘Fury vs AJ. Now.” No excuses. No compulsion, nothing, but he needs to make a performance. A labor victory? I’ll take it, but that’s not what we’re talking about. I’m pursuing.”
Jermaine Franklin on boxing in England.
“The UK has dominated the sport for the past few years, so it was the right thing for us to come here and try to win it back. I have no problem with moving to fight. Back in the day, boxing used to be a bit more global, so it would be nice to bring it back. I’m starting to build a fan base here and I like the way the fans are in the UK.”
Jermaine Franklin on what’s next for him if he beats Anthony Joshua.
“I will be in the top 5, the top 10 heavyweights in the world. As long as we can negotiate the right deals, I won’t shy away from anyone. Boxing needs to bring excitement, just like when big fights happen. I’m still waiting for the match between Errol Spence Jr. vs Terence Crawford and if I was rich enough I would pay both to fight. That’s the worst I’d like to see.”
Jermaine Franklin on whether he wants Tyson Fury or Oleksandr Usyk, if he beats Anthony Joshua.
“Both. Or one. I just want to stay on top and keep fighting the top fighters.”
