Anthony Joshua v Jermaine Franklin: Briton returns to winning ways with unanimous points win
It is a second defeat for Franklin, 29, having lost toJoshua returned to the O2 Arena - once a fortress for the Watford fighter - after seven years. His seven previous fights at the venue ended inside the distance, but this was not vintage Joshua.
A solid opening round saw Joshua take the centre of the ring and effectively double up on the jab to pierce Franklin's guard, with quick feet to stay out of range of any advances. Franklin began to target Joshua's body more in the fourth, but the British boxer responded with a brutal right and then landed a telegraphed uppercut from range.
Franklin began to tire into the second half of the fight, Joshua landing a sharp hook on the inside. The two men stood their ground and exchanged glares after the bell in the seventh. A complacent Joshua was reminded of the danger Franklin poses, taking a couple of clean shots, but out-jabbed his opponent in the 11th but an uppercut hurt the American in the final minute of the contest before he tied Joshua up, much to the dismay of the crowd, to see out the distance.After his loss to Ukrainian Usyk in August, Joshua threw theOnce again, he allowed his frustration to get the better of him after the final bell.
Franklin - a fringe world level contender - gave Joshua a harder night's work than most expected. Nevertheless, the pressure was on. A defeat for Joshua would have been difficult to come back from."I would be honoured to fight for the WBC heavyweight championship of the world," Joshua said.
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