By Jim Calfa: Anthony Joshua has revealed that his motivation for his fight with Jermaine Franklin is based on the “money” that he’ll make for that 12 round contest on April 1st on DAZN at the O2 Arena in London, England.
Joshua (24-3, 22 KOs) points out that he once upon a time, he was poor, and boxing changed his life. The sport is prizefighting, so naturally, he wants to make money competing, and he feels he’s still fresh after ten years in the pro ranks.
Franklin (21-1, 14 KOs) looked much smaller than Joshua during their face-off today at their kick-off press conference, but his technical ability and combination punching could make up for his lack of size.
The 29-year-old Franklin is arguably the most technical fighter Joshua will have faced during his career, and it’s going to be interesting got see how AJ deals with the skills of the American fighter.
“With Derrick [James] here, we’ve got some tricks up our sleeves, and we’re looking forward to April,” said Anthony Joshua during Thursday’s press conference for his fight with Jermaine Franklin on April 1st.
“Money, money, money. I like making money straight up,” said Joshua on what his desire is for still fighting. “This is a prize-fighting sport. I’ve been broke, my family has been broke. I do it because I’m good at it, and I hustle hard.
“When it’s all said and one, no one will care about me anymore, so I’ve got to make the most of it while I’m here. I made a conscious decision last year to put my heart back into boxing and nothing else.
“I compare him to some of the old school fighters,” Joshua said about Franklin. “He’s got a lot of talent and a lot of skill, and he’s built himself up the ranks.”
Joshua will need to be careful against Franklin because although he’s not a huge puncher, his speed, timing, and counter-punching make him dangerous.
“In looking at the Andy Ruiz fight, you could see something wasn’t right. If people want to live off that, they can live off that. When you watch the fights on TV, that’s one thing, but when you step in the ring with me, it’s another thing,” said Joshua.
“I still feel fresh & young. Like I said, I adapted to certain fights, so I didn’t take crazy punishment. I still feel fresh.”
