Anthony Joshua has teased a big summer fight amid speculation of a heavyweight showdown with Tyson Fury. Joshua captioned a picture of himself inside a sauna, “Just me and my mate Abz.” Joshua had a checklist beneath the original caption. ‘Light 12 rounds, cardio, recovery day, 12 weeks I go again,’ he wrote, ticking off each one. ‘All glory to God,’ said the message.
On Saturday night, the 33-year-old, boxing for the first time under Dallas-based trainer Derrick James, was not at his best, showing dismay that he had failed to knock out Jermaine Franklin. With fans inside the O2 expecting a ‘early-era’ Joshua performance, he delivered something more conservative and ‘apprehensive,’ though he did land a few effective single punches and combinations on his American opponent.
However, promoter Eddie Hearn stated after the fight that success was crucial, and Joshua’s future can now be charted after winning in the ring for the first time in over two years, and his first win in three fights. A fight with Fury has been mentioned, especially in light of his cancelled fight with Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk next month due to financial issues.
Many, however, did not see in Joshua on Saturday night a man ready to enter the ring with the man generally regarded as the greatest heavyweight on the planet. Having come into the fight against Franklin under enormous pressure after losing his two previous fights, both to Oleksandr Usyk, Joshua was obviously laying the groundwork for a return to the top.