[POLL] Heavyweight Boxing 1st April 2023: Joshua vs Franklin

[JollyGood]

I think he needs more than one good fight, Joshua totally dominated Franklin, and Joshua's killing instinct is still there but not dangerous anymore he didn't even score a knockdown, a fight with Wilder should be made right away, both coming from back to back loses and a Wilder fight will determine who should move forward to have another crack at the title, they are both in a similar situations coming from two back to back losses than winning after those back to back losses but Wilder's comeback is more impressive.

It seems Joshua is still mentally scarred from the loss to Ruiz because after that fight he fails to deliver the knockout or knockdown punches, almost as though he is scared of getting hit back harder than he gave.

Basing on this fight, i don't think he is ready to face Usyk or Fury because to me it seems he lacks confidence needed to at least get the respect of his opponents. But if a fight with either Fury or Usyk will happen in the future then for sure that would be a blockbuster but I definitely put my money on his opponents that time around.

On the basis of the fight I just saw, I think Fury and Usyk would beat Joshua quite easily. Joshua simply does not frighten opponents any more and bot Fury and Usyk are far more superior in boxing terms than Joshua.

[coin-investor]

Could Joshua seriously be back on the road to redemption?

Basing on this fight, i don't think he is ready to face Usyk or Fury because to me it seems he lacks confidence needed to at least get the respect of his opponents. But if a fight with either Fury or Usyk will happen in the future then for sure that would be a blockbuster but I definitely put my money on his opponents that time around.

Not impressive at all compared to Wilder's comeback fight that establish him right away as a big contender with that devastating first-round knockout of Helenius, I just watched half of the fight and was looking for Joshua to knock out Franklin but it never came, but it still a good win somehow it will get his motivation back that he still got it.
Hearns can make the Fury - Joshua fight this is the best time to do it, although Fury has the upper hand and edge still the world, and the British fans want to see both of them inside the ring.
Let's see in the coming months who he will fight he needs to fight top-ranked fighters and that includes Wilder.

[btc_angela]

Could Joshua seriously be back on the road to redemption?

Basing on this fight, i don't think he is ready to face Usyk or Fury because to me it seems he lacks confidence needed to at least get the respect of his opponents. But if a fight with either Fury or Usyk will happen in the future then for sure that would be a blockbuster but I definitely put my money on his opponents that time around.

Not impressive at all compared to Wilder's comeback fight that establish him right away as a big contender with that devastating first-round knockout of Helenius, I just watched half of the fight and was looking for Joshua to knock out Franklin but it never came, but it still a good win somehow it will get his motivation back that he still got it.

Franklin chin is strong that's why AJ was having a hard time not cracking that chin. It's hard to compare the two though, Wilder power might be in-born and he just train to improved it. While AJ with that huge power, was relying on mechanics on how to throw a perfect punch to knockout anyone.

Hearns can make the Fury - Joshua fight this is the best time to do it, although Fury has the upper hand and edge still the world, and the British fans want to see both of them inside the ring.
Let's see in the coming months who he will fight he needs to fight top-ranked fighters and that includes Wilder.

Yeah, but think about it, if Fury is asking for a 70/30 split in his favor against Usyk who has the majority of the belt, what his going for a All British showdown with AJ who doesn't have any bargaining power at this point? 75/25? And what are the chance of him accepting it? So for now I doubt that we will see Fury vs AJ, in my opinion.

[LogitechMouse]

It is all over after 12 rounds. The judges scored the fight: 118-111, 117-111 and 117-111 in favour of Joshua.

Franklin was no push over, he tried to win the fight but in the end stopped Joshua from knocking him out and lost the fight on a points decision.

Could Joshua seriously be back on the road to redemption?

I think he needs more than one good fight, Joshua totally dominated Franklin, and Joshua's killing instinct is still there but not dangerous anymore he didn't even score a knockdown, a fight with Wilder should be made right away, both coming from back to back loses and a Wilder fight will determine who should move forward to have another crack at the title, they are both in a similar situations coming from two back to back losses than winning after those back to back losses but Wilder's comeback is more impressive.

It's because Wilder still possesses that one punch knockout, which is still very scary. Who ever he touches, not name Fury, are going to go down hard. As opposed to Joshua who changes or a bit hesitant to pull the trigger after his first lost to Andy Ruiz. And then he switches coaches one after another that affected his style and then back to back lost to Usyk.

Probably this fight against Franklin that he won is just a tune up fight for him. Just to get back that confidence to be in the ring again and beat someone. And that 2 losses against Usyk really took a toll on him mentally. And if he chases Wilder next? I will go with Wilder and Joshua might be knockout for good and stay in the canvass. Wilder is still one of the heaviest hitting in the Heavyweight division right now.

In his interview, he said that it would be an honor for him to fight Fury because that's what the fans wanted, and he wants it as well. I mean if Fury wanted to give him the fight then the best possible date that these 2 might face with each other will be on summer.

Anyway, congratulations to Joshua in winning against Franklin. Unfortunately, I didn't watch the full game for some personal reasons, but I did watched the highlights. Right hooks, right straights, lots of uppercuts, and I thought that Franklin will get knocked down on the 10th and the 11th because of the barrage of shots made by Joshua. Anyway, a Unanimous Decision win for him, and a good comeback win after losing 2 straight fights to Usyk.

As for Wilder, even though he got defeated by Fury twice, I agree that he still possess that deadly and strong punch that will make his opponents knocked out. Like you said, outside Fury, all of his opponents got knocked out when facing him. Joshua Vs. Wilder? I'm afraid Wilder might just demolish him because of that one-punch KO.

[yazher]

Not impressive at all compared to Wilder's comeback fight that establish him right away as a big contender with that devastating first-round knockout of Helenius, I just watched half of the fight and was looking for Joshua to knock out Franklin but it never came, but it still a good win somehow it will get his motivation back that he still got it.
Hearns can make the Fury - Joshua fight this is the best time to do it, although Fury has the upper hand and edge still the world, and the British fans want to see both of them inside the ring.
Let's see in the coming months who he will fight he needs to fight top-ranked fighters and that includes Wilder.

Yeah! right after all it was a good win for Anthony Joshua and though he was struggling to knock out his opponent, he managed to win the fight and get ready for his next big one most boxer come from a lost fight have a hard chance to win a fight again but this time we saw that he was determined to win and wants to continue to pursue his career. Though this era of boxing has lots of dramas going on in any weight division, he better gets that next fight with some good contender again to further expand his record and boost his popularity even more.

[JollyGood]

I am quite disappointed with Joshua, he was never the most talented or the best but he always found a way to win until Ruiz knocked him out. After that defeat he was never the same again even though he won on points in the rematch. When was the last last time Joshua won by KO rather than TKO? A quick search shows just 5 KOs over his 28 career fight record.

Can we all admit he simply is not good enough to be taken seriously as a world champion contender?

Not impressive at all compared to Wilder's comeback fight that establish him right away as a big contender with that devastating first-round knockout of Helenius, I just watched half of the fight and was looking for Joshua to knock out Franklin but it never came, but it still a good win somehow it will get his motivation back that he still got it.
Hearns can make the Fury - Joshua fight this is the best time to do it, although Fury has the upper hand and edge still the world, and the British fans want to see both of them inside the ring.
Let's see in the coming months who he will fight he needs to fight top-ranked fighters and that includes Wilder.

[Davidvictorson]

On the basis of the fight I just saw, I think Fury and Usyk would beat Joshua quite easily. Joshua simply does not frighten opponents any more and bot Fury and Usyk are far more superior in boxing terms than Joshua.

Glad to see AJ win this fight after a while. Though I know this is not his best fight but it is going to serve as a confidence boost to build up momentum for the next fight.

Not his best fight though but an important win for him. He needs something that is lacking  - that killer instinct. AJ is never going to face Usyk , Joyce, Fury, like this. They will take him to the cleaners.

I need him to not be like his old self but be better than his old self. In his next match, I need to see more follow up punches, more aggression. Looking forward to the Dillian fight. That's going to be the real test.

[death69]

~~~

It's because Wilder still possesses that one punch knockout, which is still very scary. Who ever he touches, not name Fury, are going to go down hard. As opposed to Joshua who changes or a bit hesitant to pull the trigger after his first lost to Andy Ruiz. And then he switches coaches one after another that affected his style and then back to back lost to Usyk.

Probably this fight against Franklin that he won is just a tune up fight for him. Just to get back that confidence to be in the ring again and beat someone. And that 2 losses against Usyk really took a toll on him mentally. And if he chases Wilder next? I will go with Wilder and Joshua might be knockout for good and stay in the canvass. Wilder is still one of the heaviest hitting in the Heavyweight division right now.

Boxing is a sport that's all about skill and heart. It takes a unique person to get in that ring, knowing that one punch can change it all. Anthony Joshua knows this better than anyone. After two losses to Usyk, he came back with a solid win over Franklin. It wasn't the knockout fans wanted, but it showed his technique and grit.

Deontay Wilder is still a big deal in the heavyweight world. His powerful knockouts make him super scary, and even with two losses to Fury, he's a tough opponent. They say styles create battles. If Joshua and Wilder fought, it would be a mix of Joshua's accuracy and Wilder's strength. It'd be amazing to watch these giants compete, but as a fan, I'm a bit worried for Joshua. Wilder's one-punch KO is serious business!

[Kemarit]

I am quite disappointed with Joshua, he was never the most talented or the best but he always found a way to win until Ruiz knocked him out. After that defeat he was never the same again even though he won on points in the rematch. When was the last last time Joshua won by KO rather than TKO? A quick search shows just 5 KOs over his 28 career fight record.

Can we all admit he simply is not good enough to be taken seriously as a world champion contender?

He is probably built through the hype, he got a win against Klitscho but it was no way the best version because he is already way past his prime but Joshua is just climbing up in the ranks. So few more fights for him and he make a good name already.

But facing a power puncher in Ruiz, Joshua was taken by surprised and from then on, he was not the same anymore.

Yes, I would agree that he is not good enough to be a world champion again. Might be good for him to fight Fury, maybe after that he can retire, just for all the British fight and that's it for him.

[Darker45]

I am quite disappointed with Joshua, he was never the most talented or the best but he always found a way to win until Ruiz knocked him out. After that defeat he was never the same again even though he won on points in the rematch. When was the last last time Joshua won by KO rather than TKO? A quick search shows just 5 KOs over his 28 career fight record.

Can we all admit he simply is not good enough to be taken seriously as a world champion contender?

He is probably built through the hype, he got a win against Klitscho but it was no way the best version because he is already way past his prime but Joshua is just climbing up in the ranks. So few more fights for him and he make a good name already.

But facing a power puncher in Ruiz, Joshua was taken by surprised and from then on, he was not the same anymore.

Yes, I would agree that he is not good enough to be a world champion again. Might be good for him to fight Fury, maybe after that he can retire, just for all the British fight and that's it for him.

It will be good for Joshua to fight Fury. That would give him a nice paycheck. And he's already made it clear that he's mainly after the "money, money, money."

I think there have been opinions from boxing pundits that Joshua is not somebody who is really a feared heavyweight warrior. I sort of agree. His name is actually way bigger than his accomplishments or his boxing performance and skills. His résumé is lacking. To be quite frank, he has not really made a name by beating all the seemingly insurmountable odds. It was more or less smooth sailing for him. Some are even implying that Joshua is kind of babied all the way to the championship. Indeed, he's always been fighting in his own backyard. The first time he left his home court, he was knocked out.

[notblox1]

I was never impressed with Anthony Joshua but it was expected for him to win this fight against Franklin, I even predicted it would be win with points as unanimous decision, and I won reward from Sportsbet
What is more exciting for me is potential fight between Joshua and Tyson Fury, and I want Fury to finally kick his ass and shut his mouth.
Fury is better in all areas except is body figure, but that brings zero points in boxing, maybe Joshua should do some modeling  

[eaLiTy]

~
On the basis of the fight I just saw, I think Fury and Usyk would beat Joshua quite easily. Joshua simply does not frighten opponents any more and bot Fury and Usyk are far more superior in boxing terms than Joshua.

Oleksandr Usyk already defeated Anthony Joshua twice and now that match up is over as there wont be a rubber match with two looses and Tyson Fury is the best boxer in this generation and Joshua will not stand a chance against him, the other opponents for Anthony Joshua that would create interest is Deontay Wilder and it will be a great fight for the fans and their future.

[Fivestar4everMVP]

I was never impressed with Anthony Joshua but it was expected for him to win this fight against Franklin, I even predicted it would be win with points as unanimous decision, and I won reward from Sportsbet
What is more exciting for me is potential fight between Joshua and Tyson Fury, and I want Fury to finally kick his ass and shut his mouth.
Fury is better in all areas except is body figure, but that brings zero points in boxing, maybe Joshua should do some modeling  

Indeed, Anthony Joshua's win against Franklin today was expected by many, so it came as no surprise at all to very many who followed the match.
And I agree with you though, Anthony Joshua vs Tyson fury would be an interesting fight to watch, and I would also bet that Joshua wont have a chance, but even if such a match is going to happen, now is not the best time for it, as I personally believe that Joshua is yet to heal from the defeat he suffered from his previous fight, he wouldn't even dare to accept such a proposal in my own personal opinion.

[LFC_Bitcoin]

I watched the fight on my iPhone on a crappy stream. I expected more from Joshua to be honest, I know he won, he was the better fighter in most rounds but I expected a more explosive performance. He’s going to have to be much, much better if he’s even thinking about fighting Fury or even trying to get a 3rd Usyk fight.

[JollyGood]

I was never impressed with Anthony Joshua but it was expected for him to win this fight against Franklin, I even predicted it would be win with points as unanimous decision, and I won reward from Sportsbet
What is more exciting for me is potential fight between Joshua and Tyson Fury, and I want Fury to finally kick his ass and shut his mouth.
Fury is better in all areas except is body figure, but that brings zero points in boxing, maybe Joshua should do some modeling  

At the way Joshua is fighting he does not deserve to share a ring with Fury, it is that simple.

Oleksandr Usyk already defeated Anthony Joshua twice and now that match up is over as there wont be a rubber match with two looses and Tyson Fury is the best boxer in this generation and Joshua will not stand a chance against him, the other opponents for Anthony Joshua that would create interest is Deontay Wilder and it will be a great fight for the fans and their future.

Usyk has nothing to prove because he defeated Joshua twice, they will never fight again. As for Fury (regardless of why his fight with Joshua never happened) he will never give Joshua an opportunity to fight him now. The best Joshua can hope for is to try to get a fight with Whyte, Wilder or Joyce. For me, Wilder will knock him out. As for Joyce and Whyte, I think Joshua  will struggle to beat either of them.

I watched the fight on my iPhone on a crappy stream. I expected more from Joshua to be honest, I know he won, he was the better fighter in most rounds but I expected a more explosive performance. He’s going to have to be much, much better if he’s even thinking about fighting Fury or even trying to get a 3rd Usyk fight.

Believe me, even you watched the fight in HD you would not be missing much 

Joshua seems way past his best and in my opinion his best was simply just about good enough to beat a 41 year old Klitschko when Joshua himself was just 27 years old.

[Jating]

I watched the fight on my iPhone on a crappy stream. I expected more from Joshua to be honest, I know he won, he was the better fighter in most rounds but I expected a more explosive performance. He’s going to have to be much, much better if he’s even thinking about fighting Fury or even trying to get a 3rd Usyk fight.

And we can say that even if Joshua win this fight, it was a lousy performance on his side. As you have said, we expect more from him, not just taking a win, but it should be like a statement, he even admitted that he should have knockout Franklin in the post fight interview and he didn't.

Otto Wallin put in perfectly in this tweet,

Otto Wallin
@OttoWallin
Joshua is not the same guy anymore. His head is gone and the stuff after the fight shows it even more. He’s feeling too much pressure

https://twitter.com/OttoWallin/status/1642292615692402688

[Baofeng]

^^ And so everyone is calling Joshua now, after that bad performance, hehehe.

I mean not just casual fans, but everyone see how Joshua doesn't want to pull the trigger and are fearful to throw that power because he is thinking that he might be countered by Franklin. And so Joshua is now being criticized by anyone, because he didn't went after him and score the knockout for a more impressive win. So this is a different version of Joshua that might give everyone a good opportunity to expose by just like B-level Heavyweight contender. Perhaps it was the pressure on his shoulder as his career is on the line. Another lost will be the end of it.

[Fundamentals Of]

^^ And so everyone is calling Joshua now, after that bad performance, hehehe.

I mean not just casual fans, but everyone see how Joshua doesn't want to pull the trigger and are fearful to throw that power because he is thinking that he might be countered by Franklin. And so Joshua is now being criticized by anyone, because he didn't went after him and score the knockout for a more impressive win. So this is a different version of Joshua that might give everyone a good opportunity to expose by just like B-level Heavyweight contender. Perhaps it was the pressure on his shoulder as his career is on the line. Another lost will be the end of it.

It seems the observation is unanimous that Joshua is now even more afraid to take risks. He is not really a risk-taker inside the ring to begin with, but ever since he was humiliated under the hands of a chubby fighter from Mexico, he slowed down a lot. Although he was able to take vengeance, it couldn't really bring him back all the lost confidence. He got back at Ruiz with a UD in their rematch but he was knocked out in the middle of the fight in their first match.

Some headlines say Joshua is back. But he's only winning against fighters of Jermaine's caliber. Fury would easily dismantle him. Wilder would also put him to sleep.

[TopTort777]

^^ And so everyone is calling Joshua now, after that bad performance, hehehe.

I mean not just casual fans, but everyone see how Joshua doesn't want to pull the trigger and are fearful to throw that power because he is thinking that he might be countered by Franklin. And so Joshua is now being criticized by anyone, because he didn't went after him and score the knockout for a more impressive win. So this is a different version of Joshua that might give everyone a good opportunity to expose by just like B-level Heavyweight contender. Perhaps it was the pressure on his shoulder as his career is on the line. Another lost will be the end of it.

Is that new version of Joshua ready to fight Gipsy King ? I think not, however AJ called Fury next I would say directly - I am not impressed with AJ performance. I expected an early finish, as Franklin imho is not on the same level with Joshua (but turns out that AJ isnt on top level anymore). Imho, AJ must finish such opponents as Frankling with a KO. AJ was bigger (extremely bigger that night), had height and reach advantage, experience, but did a lot of clinching and jabs.

[JollyGood]

Wallin gave Fury huge problems when they fought and lost on what many deem to be a dubious points decision but nevertheless Fury was the winner. I think Wallin spoke the truth and many agree with him. Joshua simply cannot get the physical and mental side of his boxing to balance when he fights ever since Ruiz destroyed him with that devastating win.

I cannot work out why Joshua feels pressure, it is not as though he is the greatest heavyweight ever. He is an average boxer with average technical skills. I do remember his once saying he wanted to earn a billion from boxing but that was when he was world champion. Even a blockbuster unification with Fury would not have given him more than maybe $70-$80 million from the fight purse but could the fact that he knows his retirement is near (and his opportunities for pocketing millions are diminishing) playing a part in his mental ability when fights?

Otto Wallin put in perfectly in this tweet,

Otto Wallin
@OttoWallin
Joshua is not the same guy anymore. His head is gone and the stuff after the fight shows it even more. He’s feeling too much pressure

https://twitter.com/OttoWallin/status/1642292615692402688