Jermaine Franklin is set to get back in the ring as he returns to action in his hometown.
Franklin is well known to Brits having come to the UK twice in recent times. First up, he gave Dillian Whyte a tough night in London and forced the heavyweight contender to work hard over 12 rounds.
He lost the points decision but his stock rose in defeat and as such he was called back to take on Anthony Joshua in his first return to the ring following his back-to-back defeats to Oleksandr Usyk in 2021 and 2022.
Franklin again did well against the former unified world heavyweight champion and stopped Joshua from getting off his power punches. The fight went the full distance but ended in another points loss for the American.
At just 30 years old, Franklin is still considered a decent force in the heavyweight division. In his last bout in July, he secured a commanding victory with a dominant 10-round unanimous decision (scoring 100-90 twice, 99-91) over the previously undefeated Isaac Munoz Gutierrez in Detroit.
Now he is all set to return to his home state of Michigan and take on former US Olympian Devin Vargas whose record sits a 22-10, with 9 KOs.
The fight is scheduled for 10 rounds and will be the co-main event in the latest instalment of the “Big Time Boxing USA” boxing series. It takes place on Thursday, May 23, at Wayne State Fieldhouse in Detroit and will be shown live on DAZN.
Ahead of his return after a 10-month time out, Franklin spoke with confidence about what he would bring to the ring.
“I want to show the world the new Jermaine. I have some new smoke to show boxing fans. I learned so much after the Joshua fight. I must trust myself and my skills. My team told me, ‘If you want the belt, you have to go for it.’ You will see a new Jermaine. I promise that.”
He added that the home crowd will be extra motivation for him.
“I’m so hyped to fight in front of my family and friends. I get a chance to come home and give my family a welcome-home knockout. I have been to some great places to fight but nothing comes close to fighting at home in front of family.”
The co-feature sees an eight-round showdown between undefeated former national amateur champion Joshua James Pagan who is making a step up against fellow undefeated prospect Roger Hilley for the Junior NABF Super Lightweight Championship.
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