Anthony Joshua makes his in-ring return official this Saturday night when he faces Jermaine Franklin at London’s O2 Arena. This battle represents Joshua’s first contest since 2015 where a world title won’t be at stake and the 2012 Olympic champion is aiming to use this bout as a platform to push on towards reclaiming his crown.
In Franklin, Joshua faces an opponent who is well known to fight fans after pushing Dillian Whyte close last year. Here, DAZN looks at what both men must do to give themselves the best chance of securing a vital victory.
Anthony Joshua
Forget about the Usyk series
This is a fresh start for Anthony Joshua and it’s his first fight in nearly two years that doesn’t involve Oleksandr Usyk. Going in against the Ukrainian wizard, Joshua was at the highest level of boxing imaginable and such occasions can leave long-lasting scars on a fighter.
This fight has to represent a new beginning and with Derrick James onboard, Joshua’s third coach in three fights, this is an opportunity to show people what he’s been working on in Texas. Jermain Franklin is not Oleksandr Usyk, and he’s fought nowhere near the level of Joshua, the British man can show that as long as he’s not feeling any impact from the Usyk defeats.
Start quick
The longer this fight goes, Franklin will get more comfortable, and we know he’s a capable 12 round fighter after pushing Dillian Whyte at a decent pace. Joshua’s power and speed are two of his biggest assets and when put together, they’re capable of stopping any fighter in the division if the moment is right.
Joshua is no stranger to an early finish but the higher he’s gone in opponent level, the more rounds he seems to go. Franklin is almost certain to try and keep it tight in the fight’s early stages, but if Joshua can breach his defences early, he won’t give the American a chance to recover.
Listen to Derrick James
Following two successive defeats to Usyk, Joshua may feel there’s a need to put on an impressive show to remind people just how good he is. People watching Joshua are used to explosive finishes and knockout performances, and that’s exactly what the crowd inside London’s O2 Arena will want. Joshua can't listen to the crowd.
In Derrick James, Joshua has placed his trust in one of boxing’s best trainers and the man from Texas will know exactly what he wants from his man. This is Joshua’s moment to prove that he still has what it takes to be a major player at heavyweight, and he’ll go a lot further if he takes in the wisdom being provided to him by James.
Jermaine Franklin
Don’t become emotionally involved
Facing Joshua inside the O2 Arena is a daunting task and although Franklin has been to Britain before, this is something he probably isn’t used to. Some of Joshua’s biggest moments have taken place at the London venue and with the crowd all backing him, taking him on is a tough proposition for any fighter.
Franklin must treat this as a normal fight and not let the crowd influence how he performs. This is an opportunity that he’s waited his entire life for, but it could be over quickly if he lets the emotion of the event overawe him.
Keep it tight early
With some pressure on Joshua to put on an explosive show, each passing round that Franklin remains in the fight could make the home fighter uncomfortable. Franklin does not want to give Joshua any confidence boosts and if he can keep his guard high for the first few rounds and deter any Joshua attacks, his best chance of an upset may come in the fight’s second half.
Don’t take any breaks
Against Dillian Whyte, Franklin’s performance was very respctable but with a little more industry, he could've taken the win. Franklin picked his moments to attack Whyte but that wasn’t enough on the final scorecards. The Michigan man has arrived for this fight a lot slimmer so he could he be taking a busier approach so there’s no doubt on the scorecards if the fight goes 12 rounds.