Anthony Joshua has revealed he is taking his preparation for Jermaine Franklin even more seriously than he did for his rematch with Oleksandr Usyk last year.
‘AJ’ was ultimately unsuccessful in his attempt to claw his unified heavyweight crown back from the Ukranian, who outpointed him in a similar fashion to their first meeting in 2021.
And, when speaking to Ade Oladipo on the DAZN Boxing Show, Joshua explained how he now realises his training for the Usyk fight simply wasn’t enough.
“I have to take Jermaine Franklin more seriously than I did Usyk. Not that I’m comparing the two, but I now know better.”
“How I trained [for Usyk], it wasn’t enough. I have to put more pressure on myself in order to perform better.”
“As long as I’m fighting, I’m going to have a level of self expectation to improve as a fighter.”
The Franklin fight is seen as make or break for Joshua, with many pundits of the belief that defeat would spell the end to any aspirations of becoming a three time heavyweight world champion.
It will be the Brit’s first outing under new trainer Derrick James, and many fans are hopeful the link up could bring a return of the aggression that brought Joshua so much success in his earlier career.
A familiar face to UK fans after his impressive showing against Dillian Whyte last November, Franklin has always maintained he was hard done by that night and will have all the confidence of upsetting the apple cart at the 02 on April 1st.
A rematch for Joshua against old foe Whyte looks set for the summer, provided he gets past “The 989 Assassin.”