By: Sean Crose
“Money, money, money,” Anthony Joshua said at Thursday’s press conference for his April 1 comeback match with American Jermaine Franklin, “I love making money.” Joshua goes on to explain his rationale, one that has motivated boxers since the days of bare fingers. “Frankly,” he continued, “this is a prize sport. I am broke, my family is broke. I know what this damn thing means. I do it because I’m good at it and I hustle. When all is said and done, no one will care about me anymore so I have to make the most of my time here.”
Joshua went on to address his central issue, as he appeared quite flustered after his second loss to Oleksandr Usyk last year. “People will wonder where someone’s head is,” he said, “that’s one thing. I think waking up every day is just a normal everyday thing, you don’t think about it. So it’s just normal for boxers to go to the gym every day, so a lot of boxers come to the gym every day.” However, Joshua has made it clear that it is important for him to stay motivated to keep fighting.
After all, having his heart “back in the game” will give him the opportunity to earn more money for himself and for his family. “I always build businesses outside of boxing,” adds Joshua, “for fear of going back to the starting line. I always try to build an empire so that when all is said and done, I can never look back and say I made stupid decisions.”
In fact, not so long ago, Joshua was considered the best heavyweight boxer in the world. Even after losing to Andy Ruiz in 2019, Joshua refocused and easily won the rematch later that year. However, since losing two games in a row to Usyk’s walking, talking skill set, Londoner Joshua has seen his shares drop in price. A win over Franklin in April is sure to get that stock up again. “This is the most serious fight I’ve ever been in,” Joshua said of the impending battle with Franklin. “With my food, my sleep, my training. Everything I’ve been through. positive and negative, I’m putting on this camp.
