Anthony Joshua faces Jermaine Franklin tonight in London, with the British fighter making his ring return following successive defeats to Oleksandr Usyk.
Now, he faces an altogether different test, with Franklin being given little chance of beating Joshua in their fight which takes place at the O2 Arena. Franklin made his UK debut in November, losing to Dillian Whyte on points at Wembley Arena in North London on a tough night for the American.
Joshua will be hoping that a win in this fight can provide a positive springboard for future victories, with the potential for a world title shot once again in the near future. The contest is being billed as a 'New Dawn' for the British fighter, with three defeats in his past five fights hoping to be forgotten.
READ MORE: Anthony Joshua vs Jermaine Franklin LIVE updates and commentary stream
Ahead of the fight, Joshua has suggested that he will retire if he loses, saying: "I will. I will retire if I lose. I'm not here to battle people. If people want me to retire I will retire,"
"I'm not going to fight if people don't want me too. It's not even about the money. It's about the competitor in you. That's what's important. It [pressure] comes with the business and it comes with the territory, I know that.
"I know when I am retired, I am gonna be chilling. I'm gonna be thinking f**k everyone. I am done. You lot put so much pressure on me so when I am done, the chains are going to be gone. I am going to be laughing and loving life."
Anthony Joshua vs Jermaine Franklin latest odds
Odds via Betfair
Anthony Joshua vs Jermaine Franklin match odds
Anthony Joshua: 1/14
Draw: 25/1
Jermaine Franklin: 15/2
Method of victory
Anthony Joshua KO/TKO: 1/4
Anthony Joshua Points or Decision: 9/2
Jermaine Franklin Points or Decision: 12/1
Jermaine Franklin KO/TKO: 13/1
Fight to go the distance
Yes: 7/2
No: 1/6
Betfair spokesperson Sam Rosbottom said: “Anthony Joshua is the big 1/14 odds-on favourite to beat Jermaine Franklin in this weekend’s heavyweight clash. AJ, who is looking for his first win since 2020 after losing back-to-back fights against Oleksandr Usyk, is 1/4 to defeat Franklin via knockout. Meanwhile, Franklin is 15/2 to beat Joshua, who has revealed he will retire from boxing if he loses.”
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