Anthony Joshua says he will retire from boxing if he loses against Jermaine Franklin on Saturday at the O2 Arena. The two-time world champion is making his return to the ring this weekend to face the American heavyweight after successive defeats to Oleksandr Usyk.
Joshua was scheduled to fight Tyson Fury in a bout in November or December, however, the fight never came to fruition due to sponsorship issues. The 33-year-old would later opt to face Franklin come Saturday at the O2 Arena in Greenwich in London.
Speaking to the media, Joshua said:
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.
With the world at his feet, Joshua suffered a shock defeat to Andy Ruiz Jr in June 2019. He won his IBF, WBA and WBO titles back in the rematch six months later, but was then dethroned once again – this time by Usyk in September 2021.
Joshua replaced coach Rob McCracken with Robert Garcia for the rematch with the Ukrainian. Unfortunately, he was once again outpointed by Usyk.
Despite a better performance in the second fight, Joshua lost his temper moments after Usyk had been declared the winner. He dropped two of the champion’s belts over the top rope of the ring and argued with the opposing team. This will be his first fight after the incident.
cc: Skysports
