JOSHUA FRANKHAM has boxing in his blood, with his family history dating back to Muhammad Ali’s day and even reaching Hollywood.
The welterweight, signed to Hall of Fame promoter Frank Warren, is a 6-0 prospect with high hopes in the sport.
Frankham is one of several fighters from his family, as a nephew to a former champion and relative of Tyson Fury’s.
His uncle John was a former British light-heavyweight champ, who in 1971 famously fought and knocked down Ali.
Frankham, 23, told SunSport: “There’s a good picture of my uncle John standing over Muhammad Ali.
“So seeing that in his place when I was younger, you don’t get much more motivation than that.”
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Amazingly, John is not Frankham’s only uncle who mixed in with greatness.
His other uncle Bobby, a former boxer himself, coached movie star Brad Pitt before Guy Ritchie’s 2000 classic Snatch.
Frankham revealed: “I’ve got photos with Brad Pitt in my nan’s house. He stayed with my family for a couple of weeks.
“I was only a baby, but it’s a pretty good story!”
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Frankham, who admitted he was “always going to be a fighter”, was a talented amateur, winning 30 of his 36 amateur bouts.
He represented England before turning professional in 2020.
After deciding to turn over to the paid ranks, Frankham took a trip to Las Vegas with his cousin Levi.
But after being stuck in Sin City, the pair decided to spend a few days in Los Angeles, where they would unexpectedly train with Manny Pacquiao.
He said: “I pulled up to his gym and Manny Pacquiao was just coming up, we took a quick photo.
“We were talking to his brother, and he said to us, ‘We’re going running tomorrow in Griffith Park, why don’t you come.’
“Straight away we took this fellas number and we couldn’t believe it, we didn’t think it was going to happen.
“We got up at 6am in the morning, met at Griffith Park and it was the best experience I ever had. It was all meant to be.
“We went back to his house, had loads of photos with him and he signed some stuff.
“He actually asked us over for dinner but he had to have a massage first. But we had to get back to the hotel, so we couldn’t go in.”
Frankham has had a front row seat to watch Fury’s rise to the top of the heavyweight division.
His cousin is first cousin’s to Fury’s wife Paris, but Frankham sees the Gypsy King as a friend and mentor.
He said: “Tyson is a very good pal of mine. Just to have Tyson on board and to be able to ring him and say, ‘Tyson, what would you do?’
“He’s always there for me and I can’t thank him enough for that.”
Fury, 33, helped Frankham receive a deal with promoter Warren, paving the way to his unbeaten career.
And he has aspirations of going all the way in the sport but first once to pick up the British title his uncle John formerly held.
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Frankham said: “I want the British title, that’s my goal. I’m coming for that welterweight British title and then we can say.
“Next year I want to go for international titles but I don’t want to skip the British, I want it and it means a lot to my family.
“I’d love to be world champion, it’s a dream of every fighter, but at the minute my goal is the British title.”
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
