Nigerian-British boxer, Anthony Joshua, made a triumphant return to the ring on Saturday night with an impressive victory over US boxer, Jermaine Franklin, at the O2 Arena in London.
The former world champion won the fight unanimously after 12 rounds of intense action.
The three judges scored Joshua 118-111, 117-111, 117-111, reflecting his dominance throughout the bout. This win marked Joshua’s first since 2020, after he suffered two consecutive defeats to Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk.
In September 2021, Usyk defeated Joshua, while the British boxer suffered another loss at the hands of his Ukrainian counterpart in August 2022.
However, Joshua had his last victory on December 13, 2020, against Bulgaria’s Kubrat Pulev.
The fight against Franklin was a tough one, with both boxers exchanging jabs and punches.
Eventually, Joshua emerged victorious, denying Franklin his 25th career win. This win marks the beginning of Joshua’s quest to become a three-time world heavyweight champion.
“I try and provide for the fans. I know who they want. They said Tyson Fury; the ball is in his court,” said Joshua after the fight.
“I would be honoured to fight for the WBC Heavyweight Championship of the World. If he’s listening, he knows my promoter; we’ve had dialogue before, so let’s continue this. We ain’t getting any younger.”
Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, also expressed his desire for a fight against Tyson Fury. “We want the Fury fight. We believe it can be made. The nature of the victory was always going to be important, but he has the right to call out Fury or Deontay Wilder,” Hearn said.
Joshua’s victory over Franklin extended his professional record to 25-3, putting him in a strong position for future fights.
