Joshua vs Franklin Preview and Betting Tip

It has been a while since our last boxing preview. We backed Usyk to stop Joshua late and if the fight was 30 seconds longer, he probably would have got him out of there. AJ hasn’t been seen since and he now makes his (long awaited?) return against a potentially dangerous opponent in Jermaine Franklin. Joshua has lost three of his last five, while Franklin comes here on the back of a very dodgy points defeat to Dillian White. It is an intriguing fight, check out our Joshua vs Franklin preview and betting tips below.

Joshua vs Franklin: The Tale Of The Tape

Anthony Joshua

This fight is a true crossroads for Anthony Joshua. Will he plough straight ahead through Jermaine Franklin and onto bigger fights, or will he be forced to perform a U-turn? At the weigh in Joshua looked bigger and bulkier than ever. The weight he shed for the Usyk rematch has been piled back on and he is clearly prioritising power over mobility and speed.

It isn’t really a surprise to see Joshua reverting to type. Smaller, faster fighters have caused him all sorts of problems (Usyk, Ruiz Jr) and the plan is clearly to get back to basics and blast Franklin out of there early before he can get into a rhythm. It might not be that simple though.

Joshua will surely have serious doubts in his mind after those two Usyk defeats. Yes, he performed better in the second fight but the result was never in doubt. If he doesn’t get his opponent out of there in the first three rounds, will he gas due to the extra weight he is carrying? Will the mental scar tissue from that devastating defeat vs Ruiz play on his mind? Does he still have the hunger to get to the top? Those are just a few of the questions he needs to answer so it is surprising to see him as short as 1.13.

Jermaine Franklin

This is a great chance for the American to gain redemption after he was robbed vs Dillian White. He put in an assured display against the Englishman, picking his moments to attack with sharp combinations and landing some lovely counters too. Some of his most dangerous moments came after White had landed, so he’ll be following the same blueprint as Ruiz did in his first fight vs Joshua.

Franklin, a former amateur Golden Gloves Champion, knows he’ll have to keep his hands up and his defences tight early. If he leaves his chin in the air, Joshua will make short work of him. However, he is no mug going by what I’ve seen from him and I like the fact that he has come into the fight 22lbs lighter than he was against White.

This should enable him to get around the ring quickly and stay out of trouble in the early stages. It will also be a huge advantage if the fight lasts into the middle and later rounds because we have seen how quickly Joshua’s tank can empty when he is put under pressure. If he is able to withstand the inevitable early Joshua onslaught, Franklin could make a mockery of his odds of 10.30.

Joshua vs Franklin Prediction

Styles make fights and this is a classic power puncher vs boxer scenario. AJ has returned to his bodybuilding physique since losing to Usyk, whereas Franklin has been counting the calories, so he’ll be looking to use his movement to avoid the Joshua haymakers.

There are two likely scenarios. One, Joshua bullies Franklin in the first two rounds, lands a massive shot and it is game over. Or two, Franklin weathers the early storm, or maybe even catches Joshua with a counter, and takes it into the later rounds.

The second outcome isn’t as unlikely as the bookies think. Joshua is 1.3 to win by KO/TKO which is no value whatsoever. If Franklin can get past the fifth round there is a real chance that AJ could gas and at the prices, only two bets make sense here. A point on Franklin to win at 10.30, and a half point on Franklin to win in rounds 7-12 at 34.0. Hopefully it is a cracking fight.

Joshua vs Franklin Tip: 1pt Franklin to win @ 10.30; 0.5pt Franklin to win in rounds 7-12 @ 34.0

-DaveStevos