Anthony Joshua is a legend of British boxing regardless of what comes next

Byboxingtimmy
Anthony Joshua

Anthony Joshua is set to face Jermaine Franklin at the O2 Arena in a vital contest for the future of his career. Joshua has claimed he will retire if he is defeated by Franklin, meaning an incredible career could come to an abrupt end. The British fighter is already a legend within his sport and will certainly go down as one of the greatest fighters to emerge from England. 

Huge pressure on Joshua to prolong his legacy

Joshua is expected to defeat Franklin however there are huge implications if he fails to do so. A defeat would be embarrassing for the two-time champion of the world and Joshua’s promise to retire demonstrates that. In Joshua vs Franklin betting, the British fighter is a huge -1200 favorite, but the fighter from Michigan will be hugely motivated by the prospect of ending a legendary career. The most likely outcome is an early stoppage from Joshua.

For those wanting to bet on boxing matches this weekend, Joshua is offered at -400 to claim victory via knockout or technical knockout. One of the key things Joshua is known for in boxing is his knockout ability. All of his victories have come in bouts that have not gone the distance and he may need another knockout strike to prolong his famous career. 

Statement victories

Regardless of whether Joshua suffers a shock defeat this Saturday his mark on the sport has already been firmly made. One of the standout fights in his career so far was the night he first become a world champion.

Charles Martin came to England in April 2016 to defend his IBF heavyweight title at the O2 Arena. Joshua won via knockout and claimed his first title in doing so. The victory against Martin meant he was no longer seen as a fighter with huge potential but as one of the world’s best. 

The most impressive fight of Joshua’s career arguably came against Wladimir Klitschko at Wembley Stadium. The British fighter again found success in his home nation as he won by technical knockout. He successfully defended his IBF title and collected the vacant WBA and IBO titles alongside it. That was the night Joshua made a name for himself as one of the greatest British fighters of all time. He held several belts and the narrative of him striking lucky against a weaker opponent in Martin quickly diminished. 

Joshua’s fight against Joseph Parker in 2018 allowed him to claim his fourth belt. The Watford-born man came out on top via a unanimous decision to add the WBO title to his collection. Joshua went on to lose his belt to Andy Ruiz in June of 2019. But just six months later one of his most impressive displays in the ring followed. In the rematch, Joshua reclaimed his titles with a disciplined performance compared to his usual aggressive style. 

Back-to-back defeats at the hands of Oleksandr Usyk have hurt Joshua greatly. Failure to win either of the bouts has eventually left him in a do-or-die situation as he prepares to face Franklin. His honor and reputation have been affected massively. Joshua must now find his way through several exhibitions unscathed to work towards another title shot in the future. Franklin offers the first stage of Joshua’s road to redemption. 

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