Joshua Triumphs in Bloody Battle Against Franklin
After being dragged to the distance by Jermaine Franklin and attempting to fight him after the bell, ANTHONY JOSHUA’s career suffered another bloody nose.
The 33-year-old needed a convincing comeback after consecutive losses to Oleksandr Usyk and the loss of his WBA, IBF, and WBO world titles.
He arrived with his new trainer Derrick James wearing perfect white shorts at a career-high weight of 18 stone 3 pounds.
However, he was unable to make a dent in the 29-year-old former roofer, and his once-dazzling kit turned bright pink.
A few boos were heard at the conclusion, and then AJ wanted some extra wrestling with the American, which threatened to escalate into a brawl.
After more heated trash talk, Joshua and Franklin nearly exchanged additional blows after the final bell.
Franklin’s teammates intervened to prevent him from initiating a mass brawl.
The judges scored it 118-111, 117-111, and 117-111, resulting in an unimpressive unanimous victory.
Joshua expressed regret for his lackluster performance in an impassioned post-match interview, stating: “That was somewhat chaotic, but I am now at peace.
“I apologize to everyone who witnessed that. I hold Jermaine and his fans in high regard.
“Jermaine had a good duck-and-dive technique, he knew how to tuck up, and he performed admirably.
“I should have knocked him out, but the round is over and we must move on.
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“When people come to fight me, they bring a different kind of energy; he did not come to submit.”
Franklin, who took the tube to the venue after the closure of the Blackwall tunnel caused gridlock, was so at ease walking to the ring and punching fists with fans.
Either he was living up to his 989 Assassin moniker, or he was here for a payday and knew his bank account would see a significant increase in the morning.
AJ was the polar opposite, shadowboxing his way into the spotlights while wearing newly designed Everlast gloves stuffed with horsehair for power punches.
And when he reached the ring, he refused to remove his gaze from Franklin and attempted to bore a hole into his dreadlocked head.
In the first round, Joshua’s early jabs were crisp and Franklin’s head was rocked back a few times, but no real backhands were thrown.
During the intermission, however, the British hero needed to have blood removed from his nose.
AJ landed his first right hand in the second round, but Franklin mocked him by sticking his tongue out.
The subsequent one-two got the home crowd roaring, but Joshua’s nose was dripping so badly that he would have had trouble breathing and the center of his face appeared to be a target for the opponent.
Franklin was active during the third and had his best session with a few combination shots.
But on the bell, the Watford boxer landed a right hand that may have swayed the judges to award him the round.
But the tension in the arena increased as Joshua never appeared to shift gears.
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Despite his superior height, reach, and weight, Joshua refused to impose his will on Franklin and physically abuse him.
At the end of the fourth quarter, Franklin scored with a combination while the Englishman appeared uncertain.
As the fifth began, AJ’s white shorts were turning pink from his blood, while Franklin’s confidence grew.
Franklin was struck by a large right hand, but he took it without flinching; his resilience must have shaken Joshua’s confidence.
In the sixth round, Joshua scored with a clever lead uppercut, but it prompted Franklin to respond.
The arena that was once a raucous cauldron of support for our AJ was now eerily quiet and expansive.
AJ displayed odd signs of nervousness in the seventh round, looking into the crowd when clinching and looking for afters when the bell rang until referee Marcus McDonnell separated the combatants for a well-deserved break.
AJ landed a rocket on Franklin’s jaw at the beginning of the eighth round, but the same type of shot that was used to bring down trees appeared to bounce off the underdog.
Joshua pushed his opponent away with the inner palm of his gloves the two were rutting like stags as the action concluded.
It was a frustrating evening that was in danger of becoming poisonous.
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By the ninth round, one former AJ supporter in the premium seats was yelling “hurry up” and “sort it out.”
Then Franklin caught him with a right hook, and the arena trembled in fear.
In round 10, Joshua landed a couple of uppercuts, one of which appeared to send a chunk of Franklin’s tongue flying out of his mouth.
However, AJ’s killer instinct has, at best, waned, and, at worst, he is still gun-shy after his shocking loss to Andy Ruiz in 2019, in which he scored a knockdown but was then rocked, dropped, and defeated.
In round 11, Franklin landed his best right hand of the evening, but AJ avoided the straight dig.
Franklin appeared to be stung during the final flurry, but he was courageous, whereas Joshua refused to take any chances.
Over the past decade, we have longed for more consistent bouts from our Olympic icon, but when the final bell rang, we were relieved it was over.
The argument escalated when Franklin’s assistant trainer attempted to attack AJ before ringside commentator Tony Bellew attempted to intervene and was repelled.
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