Anthony Joshua announced his return to the top table of the heavyweight division with a win against Jermaine Franklin at London's O2 Arena on Saturday night.
Weighing in at 18st 5lbs, Joshua was at his heaviest ever with expectation inside the East London venue that he would seal a quick knockout against his American opponent. However, that plan was not to come to fruition as Franklin came out swinging and Joshua employed a conservative approach in the opening exchanges.
Things turned increasingly brutal as the fight moved forwards and Joshua sought to seek a definitive conclusion to a fight which was causing him more trouble than many predicted. Franklin had shown true grit and resilience but Joshua's ability to defend from his more aggressive opponent and counter with rock solid jabs was enough.
