Anthony Joshua Wins But Are His Best Days Behind Him?

MaTaZ ArIsInG

In the highly-anticipated boxing bout between heavyweight fighters, British Anthony Joshua and American Jermaine Franklin, there was a sense of seeking redemption and attempting to spark back to life a floundering professional boxing career. Joshua was looking to bounce back after two consecutive losses to Oleksandr Usyk, while Franklin was seeking redemption following his first career loss to Dillian Whyte.

In their early Sunday, Joshua emerged victorious with a comprehensive points victory over Franklin, despite the American fighter’s gritty determination to last the full 12 rounds. The fight saw all three judges score in Joshua’s favour with accurate and decisive margins of 117-111, twice, and 118-111.

While Franklin’s innate toughness and resilience proved too much in pockets of space, the result was disappointing for Joshua’s supporters, who were hoping for a sensational knockout win. Still, the former world champion managed to land the overwhelming majority of telling blows, dominating with his jab, and winning rounds clearly. However, the victory was not as thrilling as Joshua had hoped for, as he was neither about to force a stoppage nor display the aggression that was characteristic of the 32-year-old two-time former unified world heavyweight champion.

This same British pugilist was known for unloading devastating blows on his talented opponents, utilising his famous overhand right and right uppercut, as well as his powerful left hook to rattle his challengers in the ring. Joshua faced a vast array of talented fighters throughout the years and proved his mettle. He defeated domestic rival Dillian Whyte, former IBF world champion Charles Martin, heavyweight legend Wladimir Klitschko and the experienced Russian brawler Alexander Povetkin, all by technical knockouts or simple knockouts. However, three losses in five bouts had diminished Joshua’s influence in the division. He needed the redemption of victory more than Franklin.

Their early Sunday morning fight started with Joshua taking control behind his jab, but Franklin appeared untroubled amid the intense atmosphere. Joshua’s nose began to bleed and needed attention from his corner. In the second round, a long right hand from Joshua had Franklin shaking his head and sticking out his tongue in goading contempt. Joshua landed a more meaningful combination, which made Franklin fire back, but the American looked less comfortable when Joshua nailed him with a heavy right hand and then, later in the round, went to the body with thudding blows.

Despite the difference in height, weight, power, and sheer pedigree between the two fighters, Franklin proved he had the appetite for combat, and at the end of the fourth round, he backed Joshua up against the ropes and let his hands fly with limited success. As they reached the halfway point, Joshua’s white trunks were stained a pinkish hue from the blood, which still trickled from his nose, while there was a slight swelling across Franklin’s right cheekbone.

In the eighth round, a series of fast and shuddering punches from Joshua, with sharp left jabs, followed by heavy right hands, jolted Franklin’s head back. The American was forced to try to smother the bigger man with grappling clinches. It was messy, but it helped Franklin avoid more punishment. The referee eventually had to step in to instruct both fighters to stop their excessive grappling in the ninth. They took heed of the warning, and the following round was perhaps the best of the fight.

Joshua came out for the last round looking for the knockout, but Franklin withstood the attack. Fighting broke out again briefly after the final bell before they were separated, in a sign that Joshua harboured some frustration at his failure to close the show in clinical style.

While Joshua used his physical attributes to secure victory, the former world champion’s lack of old fire and conviction suggests that perhaps those three defeats in his previous five bouts have left their mark, and made him more apprehensive with lesser confidence than he used to have in his own abilities. The victory against Franklin, while a significant one, does not change much about Joshua’s current status. What was obvious was that while he remains better than some of the class of boxers in the heavyweight division, he is still a long way away from becoming a world heavyweight champion again.

Any clamour for Joshua to fight Tyson Fury or Deontay Wilder now seems premature, and a more likely path for Joshua would be to face Whyte, whom he has beaten before, and to build towards a far more difficult defining test much later in the year. Joshua has just begun working with Derrick James, his blunt and highly respected trainer, in Dallas, Texas, and it would make more sense for their work to continue steadily before they are thrust into a heavily hyped showdown with Fury or Wilder.

Assuming doing that can rediscover the form that once struck fear into his opponents during the 2015-2018 period, when he showcased his rhythm, combinations, and devastating power, the 32-year-old ex-Olympic gold medalist could potentially become a three-time unified world heavyweight champion by reclaiming his titles

MaTaZ ArIsInG

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