Anthony Joshua vs Jermaine Franklin predictions as Lawrence Okolie agrees with Eddie Hearn
01.04.2023 - 08:41
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
Anthony Joshua begins a new chapter of his career on Saturday night, with Jermaine Franklin the opponent for his first fight since last August's defeat to Oleksandr Usyk.
Successive defeats have left Joshua with a record of three losses in his past five fights and the fight against Franklin provides a perfect opportunity to begin a resurgence. Such is the current chaos at the top of the heavyweight division, a win could feasibly set up 'AJ' for a world title fight within the next 18 months, with another fight likely to take place before then.
Franklin is regarded as one of the more dangerous upcoming fighters in the division, however, and is still feared despite defeat to Dillian Whyte at Wembley Arena in November. With 21 wins and one loss, Franklin, at 29-years-old, had been touted as a future champion before a tough defeat to Whyte.
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It will be an interesting night, with Joshua under the tutelage of new trainer Derrick James and many big names have made their prediction. Take a look at what they've had to say here:
The Matchroom chairman told iD Boxing: “I’d love him [Joshua] to make a statement, but I just want to see him win. What’s underrated about Anthony Joshua is his speed, his power and his combination punching.
“A lot of that will be down to Derrick James to make sure he has the confidence, belief and the tank to let those fly. If he does that, it’s going to be a difficult night for Jermaine Franklin.
“Franklin has shown how tough he is and he was in it right up to the 12th round [against Dillian Whyte]. I think he’ll be fitter in this fight as well.
“I feel like Franklin is going to raise his game against AJ, but I