Jermaine Franklin’s manager believes his charge has already proven he is capable of doing what Anthony Joshua hasn’t – winning behind enemy lines.
Many felt Franklin was hard done by not to get the victory when he boxed Dillian Whyte in London last November, and Salita referenced Joshua’s catastrophic night against Andy Ruiz Jr at Madison Square Garden as a contrast between the two heavyweights.
Salita, a former fighter himself, also revealed that he feels Joshua’s career is in decline when he spoke to Boxing Social today.
“I think that Jermaine showed [against Dillian Whyte] that he can perform thousands and miles away from home, and win in front of a hostile crowd. That’s something that AJ was not able to do in New York City on June 1st, 2019.”
“This fight is really about trajectory. AJ’s trajectory is on the way down, and Jermaine’s trajectory is on the way up.”
“I’m a fan of AJ, I think he’s fantastic. But I don’t think he’s as hungry as he once was.”
The bout on April 1st is seen as a must win for Joshua, with many in the sport of the opinion that defeat would spell the end of the former unified world champion.
It will be the first outing for ‘AJ’ under new trainer Derrick James, with whom he has been working for the last month since relocating to Dallas, Texas.
Fans are hoping the link up can spark the return of the “old” Joshua, and eliminate the perceived tentativeness that has crept into his game in recent fights.
If the Olympic gold medalist is successful at the 02 Arena in just under two months time, a rematch with old foe Dillian Whyte looks set to be next, potentially at Wembley Stadium in the summer.