Anthony Joshua vs. Jermaine Franklin: Preview, Prediction & Betting Odds
Former unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua faces Jermaine Franklin, this Saturday live on DAZN.
This Saturday, there will be some heavyweight action live from the O2 Arena in London, U.K. Former two-time unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua (24-3) faces contender Jermaine Franklin (21-1) from Saginaw, Michigan, live on DAZN. This fight can go a few different ways as Joshua is coming off of a loss and so is Franklin; however, his fight against Dillian Whyte had some debatable scorecards. Let’s take a look at what both heavyweights have to offer.
CAN THE REAL ANTHONY JOSHUA PLEASE STAND UP?
Anthony Joshua has some questions to answer within himself on Saturday night. Photo Credit: Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing
Anthony Joshua has everything you would want from a heavyweight, looks, charm, physique, and power. He had a ton of momentum after the Klitschko fight, but something happened during that fight that changed Joshua’s trajectory and whole mental makeup. Klitschko really hurt Joshua, and though he won the fight by knockout, he was never the same fighter.
You can see that mentally, he had a hard time processing what was happening, whether headlining the pressure of fighting at Madison Square Garden or facing a premier pugilist like Oleksandr Usyk. So the question now becomes, where is Joshua mentally coming into this fight after suffering two straight losses to Usyk? For this fight, Joshua brought on trainer Derrick James who he felt was the right fit for him. Although James is a talented trainer, it takes a few fights for someone to buy into a system, so it may be unfair to expect great things right away from the new team.
Where can Sky customers watch #JoshuaFranklin?
Channel 429 is your place to be on April 1 👊#AJonDAZN pic.twitter.com/tkjmPJU0yo
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) March 29, 2023
I can see Joshua being patient throughout this fight, keeping his distance and trying to establish some self-confidence against an opponent that will be there for him to hit. He will throw that left jab out consistently and put some combinations together to hurt Franklin with that big uppercut. Will we see the return of the old Joshua or a continuation of the post-Klitschko one?
WILL THE PENDULUM SWING TOWARDS JERMAINE FRANKLIN ON DAZN?
Can Jermaine Franklin out it all together and shock the world? Photo Credit: Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing.
Jermaine Franklin has a tall task as he will face a former unified champion in Joshua. When you look at the 29-year-old Franklin’s resume, nothing really jumps off the page, and his wins came from consistently grinding, applying pressure, and finishing guys that he had hurt. What got Franklin the Joshua fight was his performance in November against Whyte. Although one judge had it a draw, the other two gave Whyte the victory with 116-112 scores. When watching the fight, you can debate whether Franklin should have gotten the nod, but a moral victory led to this Joshua fight.
"I didn't see the confidence" 😬 @JermaineFrankl6
Tune-in now 👉 https://t.co/Fp5wU5i9Yf#JoshuaFranklin pic.twitter.com/44vgpj3irT
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) March 29, 2023
What does Franklin have to do to win against Joshua? He has to make it extremely uncomfortable for Joshua without getting caught with something big. Franklin has to ensure he disrupts Joshua’s rhythm and works his offense on the inside while smothering him. Franklin should hold in spots but avoid standing in a straight line for Joshua. Franklin should also avoid fighting outside the mid-range and jab his way inside so that Joshua can’t generate power behind his punches from a distance. Franklin sparred with Joshua in 2019, so he knows what Joshua’s power feels like. If Franklin can avoid Joshua’s combinations from a distance, he has a real shot at beating him and maybe even stopping Joshua before the final bell.
ANTHONY JOSHUA VS. JERMAINE FRANKLIN PREDICTION
Although Franklin will have a solid outing, Joshua has faced the more experienced competition and will win this one. I can see a late stoppage, but Joshua’s hesitancy to get in close, even when he has his opponent hurt, makes me lean toward a twelve-round unanimous decision victory.
Photo Credit: Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing
ANTHONY JOSHUA VS. JERMAINE FRANKLIN BETTING ODDS
Per BetMGM, Anthony Joshua is the favorite at -1000, and Jermaine Franklin is the underdog at +600.
Anthony Joshua: Decision +400; KO/TKO -350
Draw: +2500
Jermaine Franklin: Decision +1400; KO/TKO +1100
You can follow Abe on Twitter & Instagram @abeg718 and subscribe to “The Boxing Rush Hour Show” podcast on all streaming platforms.
