Anthony Joshua Admits He ‘Will Retire’ If He Loses To Jermaine Franklin
Anthony Joshua has declared that he will end his boxing career if he is defeated by Jermaine Franklin on April 1st, 2023.
That is a bold statement by Joshua, who is an Olympic-gold medalist, former unified champion and a two-time world champion.
Added to that, at the age of 33, he still has some way to go given the heavyweight division’s top contenders, Deontay Wilder, Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk, all being older than the younger, fresher Joshua.
However, the stakes are high. Following back-to-back losses against Usyk, Joshua is no longer the face of the heavyweight division, even if he is still one of the main cash cows.
That is why the Franklin fight has plenty on the line. A new direction under Derrick James promises much, and it will have to be given Joshua’s current form.
His last victory in the ring was against Kubrat Pulev all the way back in 2020. That is why he has acknowledged that should he lose his third consecutive bout, he would consider retiring from boxing altogether.
In his comments, Joshua said: “I will. I will retire if I lose. I’m not here to battle people. If people want me to retire, I will retire. I’m not going to fight if people don’t want me too. It’s not even about the money. It’s about the competitor in you. That’s what’s important.”
Those comments brought about a mixture of responses from those in the know within the sport of boxing. Lawrence Okolie, who himself had a below par performance in his victory over David Light, has backed Joshua to come out victorious.
“He’s feeling strong, fit and he’s done a lot of sparring. So I don’t want to speak for him but I expect to go in there and put on a great show.
This is world-class boxing so I don’t expect him to necessarily go and get it done in one round. But I expect him to win in impressive fashion,” Okolie
That optimism was backed up by Johnny Nelson who agreed with Okolie’s sentiments.
“I’d expect Anthony Joshua to get it done. But Jermaine Franklin is 29 years old, (has had) 22 fights, won 21, stopped 14 of his opponents and in his last fight against Dillian Whyte people say he should have won,” Nelson
As for the response on social media, boxing fans had a mixed take on the matter.
Social Media Reaction
That mindset says it all. If it's already a consideration, he should just retire, whether he wins or loses.
— Charles Wanderi (@C_Wanderi) March 28, 2023
His career has been over for a while. He's left too long.
— Jack Lee (@JackLee41901253) March 28, 2023
Soon to be X3 champion https://t.co/CobsABPM4i
— Brandon Walsh (@Blswalsh) March 28, 2023
retiring at 33 is crazy https://t.co/Q58uQlE3wD
— Billz (@billaaall_) March 28, 2023