Who won Anthony Joshua vs Jermaine Franklin?

Anthony Joshua is widely regarded as one of the biggest stars in boxing today. 'AJ' has long been hailed as one of the top box office draws in the fight game. However, many believe that the 33-year-old's recent defeats have adversely affected his standing as an elite fighter.

The UK pugilist was dealing with a two-fight losing streak as he entered tonight's (April 1st, 2023) fight against America's Jermaine Franklin. Combat sports fan-favorite Joshua faced Franklin a few hours ago in a 12-round heavyweight bout, which transpired at the O2 Arena in London, England.

The grueling fight witnessed both heavyweights go the distance. In the end, it was Joshua who emerged victorious via unanimous decision, with the three official judges scoring the fight as 118-111, 117-111, and 117-111 in favor of 'AJ.'

Anthony Joshua, who worked under the tutelage of widely-revered American boxing trainer Derrick James for the fight, showcased a sharp jab against Jermaine Franklin. Meanwhile, Franklin, to his credit, caught 'AJ' on the nose early in the fight and made the latter bleed.

Joshua adjusted to the stinging shot and used a cautious clinch-heavy strategy to smother the smaller Franklin as the fight progressed. Moreover, he continued using his jab while on the outside, whilst adding in a few hooks and uppercuts for good measure.

His body shots and clinch work appeared to slow Franklin down, although the latter too stayed active until the end. Regardless, Joshua managed to outwork his American foe and win on the judges' scorecards.

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Anthony Joshua continues to lobby for a potential fight against Tyson Fury

Anthony Joshua lost the WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and IBO heavyweight titles to Oleksandr Usyk in 2021. 'AJ' then lost the rematch to Usyk in 2022 and failed to reclaim the titles. On the other hand, Joshua's longtime rival and fellow boxing megastar Tyson Fury currently holds the coveted WBC heavyweight belt.

During the post-fight press conference after his victory over Jermaine Franklin, Anthony Joshua reiterated that he'd like to face Tyson Fury next. Joshua has long been campaigning for his grudge match against 'The Gypsy King' to materialize.

That said, it's unclear as to whether or not his potential clash against Tyson Fury could come to fruition next. 'AJ' also shut down the criticism being directed at him for his purportedly lackluster performance against Franklin. In regards to possibly facing Fury next, 'AJ' stated:

"Well, a hundred percent Tyson Fury. I think that, yeah, that's the pot of gold. That's the WBC heavyweight champion of the world. Bro, that's like, that's what it's about. So, yeah, definitely Tyson Fury."

Watch Joshua discuss the topic at 9:00 in the video below: