Anthony Joshua has picked the round in which he thinks he stops Jermaine Franklin this Saturday, and it may come as a surprise to many.
Joshua returns to the ring against Franklin for the first time since his rematch defeat to Oleksandr Usyk last August. This will be the first outing in twelve fights where a title will not be on the line for the 33 year-old.
Most within boxing are calling the comeback ‘make or break’, with Joshua himself admitting he’ll retire if he loses. Some are going even further and saying he must make a statement and get the American out of there early to prove he’s still the destructive force he once was.
This is why it might come as a surprise to some that the former heavyweight champion is predicting a late stoppage.
When speaking to Gareth A Davies for talkSPORT, Joshua said:
“I’ve never made that reference that ‘I’m going to make a statement’.
With Jermaine, if I’m honest I think round 10. He’s a tough old cookie.”
Franklin’s stock certainly rose with his performance against Dillian Whyte last year and a victory this weekend would catapult him into some huge fights in the heavyweight division.
For Joshua, comparisons will undoubtedly be made between his performance on Saturday and that of Whyte’s in November, with a much rumoured rematch between the two looking likely to happen at some point in the future.
However, Eddie Hearn has been vocal about his desire to make the all-British blockbuster fans have been calling for, Fury vs Joshua, providing his man can get through Franklin.