British-Nigerian former world heavyweight champion, Anthony Joshua on Sunday morning returned to winning ways at the 02 Arena in London with a unanimous decision win over Jermaine Franklin.
The 33-year-old British-Nigerian heavyweight controlled the contest against the durable American but it was not the explosive early finish many expected and betting sites predicted.
The two-time champion won the match with the judges scorecards reading 118-111, 117-111, 117-111.
The British-Nigerian won the fight with his uppercuts landing the most damamge as Franklin took all Joshua’s hit boldly refusing to fall.
Tempers ran high after the final bell as the two fighters squared up to each other, prompting their teams to enter the ring and be separated by security.
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It is Joshua’s first win in more than two years, having lost consecutive bouts to Oleksandr Usyk.
‘It was important to win. Jermaine has a good duck-and-dive style, somebody else from Britain will probably knock him out,’ Joshua said.
‘I respect him, he did well. I should have knocked him out but it is done. On to the next. He is here to prove himself, not roll over. I wish I could have knocked him out.’
Africa Today News, New York reports that Joshua has now won 25 fights, with 22 stoppages, and lost three since turning professional in 2013.
It is a second defeat for Franklin, 29, having lost to Briton Dillian Whyte in November.
Recall that Joshua had on Friday admitted that he ‘plateaued’ after becoming world heavyweight champion as the British boxer aims to get his career back on track against Jermaine Franklin on Saturday (today) in London.
Retirement talk has followed the former Olympic champion since consecutive losses to Oleksandr Usyk, the last of which came some time in August last year.