Former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua made a triumphant return to the O2 Arena in London on Saturday night, securing a unanimous decision victory over Jermaine Franklin. While the win wasn’t a statement knockout, it was essential for Joshua’s hopes of regaining a world title.
After suffering a painful loss in his rematch with Oleksandr Usyk last year, Joshua needed to defeat the tough American, and he did so with a clear decision of 118-111 and 117-111 twice.
Despite the fight not being a title bout, it was still one of Joshua’s most crucial fights in recent years. A third consecutive loss could have shattered his aspirations of reclaiming the heavyweight title.
In the lead-up to the fight, Joshua himself admitted that he would retire if he lost, highlighting the significant stakes of the bout. The victory, however, pushes him back into contention for the upper echelon of the heavyweight division.
Joshua looked focused but grim as he entered the ring, barely acknowledging the wild cheers from the crowd. In recent years, Joshua has drawn massive crowds in the UK, but this event was held at a smaller venue. Despite that, the raucous reception from the crowd showed Joshua’s enduring popularity on the British boxing scene.
Throughout the fight, Joshua was flanked by new trainer Derrick James, the third different trainer in his corner in as many fights. Ahead of the bout, Joshua had declared that he had found the answers to the questions he had been asking of himself. However, his performance on Saturday night may not have convinced everyone of that claim.
While the victory may not have been the knockout many had hoped for, it was an essential step towards Joshua’s ultimate goal of regaining the heavyweight title. With his fighting spirit and the backing of his fans, Joshua will undoubtedly continue to be one of the most dominant and popular fighters in the boxing world.
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Joseph Omoniyi
