By: Sean Crose
“I will. I will retire if I lose. I am not here to fight people. If people want me to retire, I will retire.” So former WBA, WBO and IBF heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua told Daily mail. “I wouldn’t fight if people didn’t want me to.” Joshua has had a rough patch lately, losing two straight fights to the slick Oleksandr Usyk. The second loss, which happened late last summer, was ended by a strange incident where Joshua took the mic and rambled in front of the assembled live and broadcast audience. It was painful to see.
Joshua 24-3 will now return on Saturday to face Jermaine Franklin 21-1 at London’s O2 arena. It’s a smart comeback fight. After losing two in a row in major fights to Usyk, it makes sense that Joshua would face a not-so-famous opponent. America’s Franklin was definitely the loser, although his only loss went to rival Dillian Whyte. However, while Franklin will no doubt give his all this weekend in London, seeing the fight against Joshua as a golden opportunity, Joshua will enter the ring as the favorite on Saturday.
At that time, a loss would be a disaster for Joshua’s career. Therefore, the British tennis player is eager to retire if he has to taste defeat again, this time at the O2. “It’s not even about the money,” Joshua said. “It’s about the competitor in you. That’s the important thing.” Perhaps it is worth noting that Joshua seems willing to speak in quite detail on the subject of hanging up his gloves. “I know when I retire I will be very cold,” he said. “I will think about everyone. I am done.” With that said, Joshua also admitted in the interview that pressure is simply part of the job.
Promoter Eddie Hearn weighed in on the importance of this weekend’s bout for Joshua. “People talk about whether his career is over if he loses this game. Well, his world championship ambitions will go up in smoke if he loses this match and that’s important to him.” It is clear that the Joshua team is well aware of the seriousness of the current situation. “Failure would be devastating,” Hearn continued. “So for that reason, I think he tries to put some distance and say it’s just another fight but we all know there’s a lot that can happen on Saturday.”
