Jermaine Franklin On Anthony Joshua Fight: ‘This Is My New Dawn’
Jermaine Franklin feels he will make a statement in his upcoming showdown with former heavyweight titleholder Anthony Joshua.
Franklin and Joshua will trade leather inside The O2 Arena in London, England this Saturday (April 1). For Joshua, this fight serves as a crucial step toward making another run at the top of the heavyweight division. If Joshua suffers an upset loss, however, it would be massive for Franklin’s career. In a Matchroom Boxing press release, Franklin made it clear that he isn’t lacking in confidence.
“I feel like I’m winning hands down at the end of the fight. As far as him with the trainers and stuff, I can’t pinpoint on what kind of style he’s going to try to use. We just do our job and prepare for whatever style. Get ready to see a new and improved Jermaine Franklin. Fans are going to see me come out and fight way better fight than the Dillian fight. It is time for people to take me seriously. This is my new dawn. It’s my time to make my claim. I want to knock his ass out, that’s the goal.”
In the press release, Franklin also said that he thinks his performance in a losing effort against Dillian Whyte back in late 2022 is what got him the fight with Joshua. Franklin said he believes Joshua’s team may have picked him as an opponent because they think he’ll be a stepping stone on his road back to the top. The “989 Assassin” is adamant about his ambition to become a unified heavyweight champion, and he plans to shock the world. Going into this bout, Joshua is a -1000 betting favorite according to BetMGM, while Franklin is a +600 underdog.
Picture By Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing
Despite being the underdog going into his fight with Joshua, Franklin feels he’s made significant improvements from the last time he stepped inside the ring for a prize fight.
“I showed people what I could do against Dillian. I showed people I can hang up there with some of the best. Dillian is a top 10/top 15 fighter and I showed people what I’m capable of. I don’t feel like I lost. We came home and we worked on stuff. We got better and we perfected our craft. We learned some different techniques and ways to attack.”
