Results
Anthony Joshua vs. Jermaine Franklin
It was touted as a fresh dawn at the O2 Arena in London for Anthony Joshua, who was forced to show patience as he secured a twelve-round victory over Jermaine Franklin in their heavyweight clash on Saturday.
Joshua (25-3, 22 KO) was coming off back-to-back losses to Oleksandr Usyk, which resulted in him losing his world heavyweight title, and was returning under the tutelage of Derrick James. Franklin (21-2, 14 KO) was buoyed by a majority decision loss to Dillian Whyte in his last outing last November and was selected as the opponent for “AJ’s” coveted career reboot.
Joshua started meticulously, working his opponent out before using a solid jab in an overwhelmingly dominant opening round. After a still second frame, the 33-year-old kept coming forward and landed with stiff right hands in the third round, but his American opponent was gaining confidence after having had little success.
After a few more rounds where it was complex for the “989” killer to land flawlessly, Joshua had a forceful sixth round where he landed right and powerful shots, but Franklin was still competitive if he didn’t have the advantage in arms.
Joshua finally opened up in the eighth and an uppercut gave the Watford man his greatest success, but the fight was close, resulting in multiple clinches.
The home favorite was determined to try and close out the show, and in round ten the pair swapped places to liven up the crowd, but the visitor, try as he might, proved unshakable and made it to the final bell, where the result was decided academically.
There was a brief scuffle between Joshua and one of Franklin’s training team members, with tensions threatening to peak after the final bell.
Two scores of 117-111 and the third 118-111 restored Joshua’s winning ways.
Joshua called for a long-awaited clash with WBC champion Tyson Fury after the fight, while a rematch with Dillian Whyte, who watched the fight in the ring, could be another option.
🇬🇧 Dillian Whyte❓
🇺🇸Deontay Wilder❓
🇬🇧Tyson Fury❓🤔 Who should Anthony Joshua fight next?#Box #JoshuaFranklin pic.twitter.com/9CXqaoIR7w
— Professional boxing fans (@ProBoxingFans) April 1, 2023
“The ball is in his court,” Joshua said DAZN.
“I would be 100% honored to have the opportunity to compete for the WBC World Heavyweight Championship.
“We already had the dialect, so let’s keep it going and hopefully we can do it sooner rather than later.
“We’re not getting any younger.”
Wardley stopped Coffie
Undercard led the next heavyweight bout, with Fabio Wardley winning the vacant WBA Continental title following a fourth-round stoppage of Michael Coffi.
Coffie (13-4, 10 KO) gave Wardley (16-0, 15 KO) a lot to think about in the first three rounds, but the British heavyweight champion decided to open up early in the fourth, landing a right hand, and after the unloading, the referee waved, to end the fight, although it seemed a bit premature.
Yafai sails from Calleros
Galal Yafai (4-0, 3 KO) stepped in to fill the void left by Felix Cash, who withdrew for the week of fights, and the Birmingham native was scheduled to fight Moises Calleros at a gala in the US next week, but both made it and the gold medalist The 2020 Olympics suffered a break in the fourth round.
Calleros (36-11-1, 19 KO) was eliminated a round earlier.
Hatton attacks Fielding
Campbell Hatton (11-0, 4 KO) impressed with a signature body shot straight from his dad Ricky’s playbook before knocking out Louis Fielding (10-8, 1 KO) in the lightweight round.
First round stoppage for @CampbellHatton! 💥
Another iconic body shot™️#HattonFielding #JoshuaFranklin pic.twitter.com/qbtYIg0FiJ
— Matchroom Boxing (@MatchroomBoxing) April 1, 2023
Williams eliminates Wilson-Bent
Austin “Ammo” Williams (14-0, 10 KO) was expected to be busy ahead of a possible fight with Cash and defeated River Wilson-Bent (14-3-1, 6 KO) in eight rounds.
Wilson-Bent was down in the seventh round, and a round later his corner threw in the towel.
In comes the towel! Ammo Williams eliminates River Wilson-Bent in the eighth round 🪓 #WilliamsWilsonBent #JoshuaFranklin pic.twitter.com/qutB91lVB9
— Boxing at Matchroom (@MatchroomBoxing) April 1, 2023
Undercard remaining
In the cruiserweight division, Juergen Uldedaj (15-1, 6 KO) was defeated for the first time, and Benoit Huber (9-3, 6 KO) won a well-deserved victory in eight rounds with a score of 77-75.
Jordan Flynn (9-0, 1 KO) won 77-75 in eight rounds over Kane Baker (18-10-1, 1 KO) in the super featherweight division, and John Hedges (8-0, 2 KO) won every round round of eight in the lightweight heavyweight division against Daniel Bocianski (11-3, 2 KO).
In the only six-round heavyweight round, Peter Kadiru (15-1, 8 KO) returned to winning ways, forcing Alen Lauriolle (6-2, 3 KO) at the end of the opening round, and Ziyad Almaayouf (3-0, 3-0) in the fourth round. 1 KO) defeated Georgi Velichkov (3-12, 3 KO) 39-37 in the super lightweight category.
Tyson Fury described both Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois as “very constrained” compared to him ahead of his rematch with Oleksandr Usyk.
Fury, who saw Dubois defeat Joshua in five rounds at Wembley Stadium in September, is preparing for a second fight with Usyk on December 21 in Riyad, seven months after his first professional defeat against split decision for the undisputed title of heavyweight champion.
The ‘Gypsy King’ insists he will box in a similar fashion when he faces the Ukrainian for the unified heavyweight titles, as well as facing his rival in midfield, something he believes both Joshua and Dubois were unable to do , when they stood against him.
– What can you expect from me? Fury said during his face-to-face meeting with Usyk TNT Sports.
“Basically the same thing I did before.
“Good boxing.
“It’s not normal for someone my height and weight to be able to box and move and slide, so why should I take that away from my game.
“People tell me: go up to Usyk, take him down and punch him, but if it was so effortless why didn’t Joshua do it, who is a massive, sturdy man?
“Why didn’t Dubois do it?
“These men are constrained compared to me, very constrained.”
The 37-year-old Usyk defeated “AJ” twice on points and stopped Dubois, and Fury became the fifth Briton to fall victim to him.
The Manchester athlete believes it cost him an impressive performance in his first outing and has vowed to remain focused when facing Usyk on Saturday in three weeks’ time.
“I belong to a boxer,” the 36-year-old added.
“Slip, slide, clip, hook.
“I’m going to do it, but with more focus.
“A little more focused on my job and I think that’s my path to victory.”
David Benavidez gave some harsh advice to Mike Tyson following his loss to Jake Paul last weekend.
Benavidez was one of millions of people around the world who witnessed Paul comfortably defeat an extremely faded Tyson to score wide unanimous decision victory.
At 58 years antique, “Iron Mike” looked like a shell of the man who ruled the heavyweight division in his prime, and some observers even believe he was carried by the YouTuber and could have been stopped at any time.
Despite the fact that the two only competed for two minutes, the fight was fully sanctioned and will go down in their records.
It was Tyson’s first professional fight since his loss to Kevin McBride in 2005, Benavidez said. Fighting Hub TV this should be his last.
“He needs to retire.”
Offering further analysis, “The Mexican Monster” explained that he was simply relieved to see the former heavyweight king leave the ring unscathed.
“It was a good fight and a good turnout, but I don’t want to see Mike Tyson fight again. Let’s hope he says it.
“𝐈 𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐧’𝐭 𝐰 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 😕
Jake Paul admits he stopped Mike Tyson last night.#PaulTyson pic.twitter.com/yIDrNf138b
— Professional boxing fans (@ProBoxingFans) November 16, 2024
“It was a good performance, Mike Tyson won there and earned well, and he deserves it. I’m just content he didn’t get injured there.
“Mike Tyson is Mike Tyson, but 60-year-old Mike Tyson is different.”
In a post-fight interview, Tyson seemed interested in fighting Jake’s brother, Logan, but has since insisted on social media that he will not return to the ring.
The series has reportedly attracted approximately 108 million viewers on Netflix, making it by far the most-watched boxing event in recent memory.
Tyson grossed an estimated $20 million, while “The Problem Child” is believed to have grossed about twice that amount.
Benavidez spoke at the press conference kicking off his Feb. 1 fight with David Morrell, which is widely considered to be one of the toughest of his career.
‼️ David Benavidez and David Morrell hot up and exchange words during their first fight before February 1…
[🎥 @PremierBoxing] pic.twitter.com/LZtU32nZ9Q
— Michael Benson (@MichaelBenson) November 19, 2024
The pair will face each other at T-Mobile Arena on Amazon Prime pay-per-view, with the winner all but guaranteed a shot at the delicate heavyweight world title.
After defeating Mike Tyson last weekend, Jake Paul once again expressed his desire to face UFC star Conor McGregor – only this time in an unusual style.
Paul threw plenty of taunts at McGregor in hopes of luring him into the ring, although the Irishman was largely reluctant to engage in any discussion.
“The Problem Child” faced widespread criticism after the fight against Tyson, who at 58 looked like a shell of his former self.
Even though the main event wasn’t much of a competition, it was a show it reportedly attracted 60 million viewers north on the streaming giant Netflix’s platform, making it by far the most watched boxing event in recent times.
Paul seems to have a penchant for large names now and took to Twitter to try and get McGregor to fight MMA.
“Dear Conor, I know you told my team you would fight me at 170 pounds. This never happens.
“But let’s do it in MMA. No weight category. Just like it used to be done. But you won’t.
Dear Conor, I know you told my team you would fight me at 170 pounds. This never happens. But let’s do it in MMA. No weight category. Just like it used to be done. But you won’t
— Jake Paul (@jakepaul) November 16, 2024
‘The Notorious’ quickly responded by writing the following (now deleted) tweet, accompanied by a photo of 82-year-old US politician Mitch McConnell.
“Nakisa has already judged me, boy, this guy will be next after you. Good luck, buddy.
Paul McGregor fighting in the ring would not only be a test of skill, but also of ego. While McGregor has plenty of experience, Paul’s speed, size and unconventional approach to boxing could create an unpredictable outcome.
However, the Dubliner would be a huge favorite if they managed to get a fight inside the Octagon, even though Paul was younger and bigger.
Regardless of who wins, the fight will be a monumental payday for both fighters, and the fight will almost certainly be one of the most entertaining ever.
British boxer with 121 defeats attacks critics and swears ‘I’ve never been knocked out’
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