Anthony Joshua insisted on a rematch clause which he can activate if he loses to Jermaine Franklin tonight.
'AJ' will make his heavyweight return against American heavyweight Franklin at London's 02 arena, as he looks to breathe life back into his career. The 33-year-old has suffered damaging back-to-back defeats against Oleksandr Usyk including in their second meeting in Saudi Arabia last August, and a win is needed if he is to return to challenging for world honours.
Joshua managed to overturn his defeat to Andy Ruiz Jr in 2019 after having a contracted rematch clause, but failed to do so against Usyk who now currently holds the Briton's former world title belts. And the Watford native will be hoping it is third time lucky if he is to lose to Franklin, with a rematch clause available if he is stunned by the American.
Despite having the possibility of a sequel if an upset takes place on familiar territory, Joshua will know that a win is paramount if he is to revive fights with the biggest names in the division including rivals Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder. After his third defeat, frustration spilled over for Joshua in the Middle East bursting into tears following his loss.
And a fourth loss could bring a curtain down on his heavyweight domination, with Joshua previously suggesting he would retire from the sport if he is unable to beat Franklin. His opponent has recently been beaten by Dillian Whyte narrowly on the scorecards, but showed heart in a brave performance with the former two-time champion ringside.
Joshua has since linked up with a new coach in experienced American Derrick James, and has based himself in the US for training camp. James will be looking to restore Joshua's power-punching brilliance which saw him make a meteoric rise in the sport.
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Franklin is confident he has what it takes to derail Joshua's career, but the former Olympian believes talk is cheap and plans to make a statement. “It is the worst time to face me,” Joshua said. "The more he [Franklin] talks, the bigger grave he digs for himself but it is what it is. I could say a lot of things about him but I respect my opponent.
“It is not for me to talk, it is for me to do my job on Saturday. That is really honestly what I am focused on from round one to round 12. I am prepared for a 12-rounder but I do believe in my ability, my counter-punching and all that type of stuff to definitely put a dent in Jermaine. But I am not here to talk, I am here to do what I have to do because I really want to win.”
