Anthony Joshua’s return to the ring was marred by chaos at the end of his homecoming victory against Jermaine Franklin. Despite the bell sounding to signal the end of the bout, the two boxers refused to let go of each other, and chaos ensued. The incident was captured on camera, with both corners running in to get involved.
Boxing fans were left in disbelief as AJ and Franklin continued to grapple with each other, almost appearing as though they were heading into a rugby scrum. As Franklin tumbled back towards his corner, one of his team members appeared to lunge towards Joshua, escalating the situation further.
The bout had already threatened to spill over at times, with both exchanging words with each other at the end of rounds. During the early stages of the bout, Franklin was even spotted sticking his tongue out at Joshua.
After securing a wide-margin points win against Franklin, the former two-time unified heavyweight champion’s hopes of forging a path back to world title contention hinged on making a definitive statement. However, the burly Brit failed to prove he’s still a major force to be reckoned with by going the distance with American gunslinger Franklin.
Despite the chaos that ensued after, Joshua’s fans still celebrated his return to the ring after back-to-back defeats to pound-for-pound king Oleksandr Usyk. The judges at the O2 Arena gave it to the Watford brawler unanimously, with scores of 118-111 and 117-111 twice.
What Went Wrong for Joshua?
Anthony Joshua’s return against Jermaine Franklin was supposed to be the bout that would put him back on track for world title contention. However, the fact that he failed to secure a knockout victory against his American rival has left fans wondering whether Joshua still has what it takes to be a major force in the heavyweight division.
One of the key reasons why Joshua failed to secure a knockout victory against Franklin is because he appeared to be holding back. Throughout the bout, Joshua seemed hesitant to unleash his full arsenal of punches, and this ultimately cost him the chance to knock out his opponent.
Another factor that contributed to Joshua’s lackluster performance was his opponent’s defensive style. Franklin was content to stay on the back foot and avoid engaging with Joshua, which made it difficult for the Brit to land any significant blows.
Since 2014, Benny A. King has been fully immersed in the world of combat sports. Starting with a blog about Greco Roman wrestling, Benny’s passion for combat sports has led him to explore various disciplines.