By: Sean Crose
There’s good reason to believe he might be the last man standing after all the dust has settled. Heavyweight has entered the post-Klitschko era, where many heavyweights are vying for dominance. Among the participants were Deontay Wilder, the fierce American boxer, the bubbly British Tyson Fury, and Fury’s sculptural compatriot, Anthony Joshua. It seems Joshua is, at least, possibly the most famous of the three. There’s a lot to like. Handsome, charming, undefeated and hard to beat, Joshua looks like the perfect man.
Then there was Oleksandr Usyk.
Joshua has fought twice in the past two years, each time uncomfortably losing to Usyk. Not only has the Ukrainian master of skill lifted Joshua’s numerous heavyweight belts from Londoners waiting, he also seems to have taken something away from the man psychologically. After all, after his second loss to Usyk, Joshua continued to give a rambling speech over the bell mic.
That’s bad news. The good news is that Joshua will be back in the ring this weekend. Furthermore, a real king has yet to appear at heavyweight. While Wilder was defeated twice by Fury, the undisputed title fight between Fury and Usyk fell apart at the last minute. The question now is not just whether Joshua can claim the crown, but whether he can still become a top competitor for it. Joshua’s fight this weekend with Jermaine Franklin may provide some answers.
As always, Joshua appeared energetic, dedicated and determined. This man is a perfect professional, no matter what others may say about him. However, he has said some things recently that make it clear that his mind is at least somewhat on retirement. “I will retire if I lose,” he told Daily mail of the fight this weekend. “I am not here to fight people. If people want me to retire, I will retire.”
Without a doubt, Joshua is looking at the current state of his career objectively. “It’s not even about the money,” Daily mail recorded what he said. “It’s about the competitor in you. That’s the important thing.” Can the widely known American Franklin take the competition away from Joshua this weekend when the two men go head to head at London’s O2 arena? Honestly, that depends on Franklin. “I think he tries to stay away and say it’s just another fight,” promoter Eddie Hearn said of Joshua in front of the audience. Letters“but we all know there’s a lot to do on Saturday.”
