JERMAINE FRANKLIN insisted he has not returned to the UK to make up the numbers as he welcomes Anthony Joshua back to the ring.
Franklin left London in November on the back of a disputed majority-decision loss to Dillian Whyte in November.
AJ was ringside that night and got an up close and personal look at the American, who earned himself the chance to fight Joshua.
The British superstar returns after two consecutive losses to Oleksandr Usyk and another defeat could be career ending.
But Franklin disagrees.
He said: “A lot of people are painting the picture that if AJ loses this might be the end of his career and if I win this might project my career.
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“I don’t buy that if I beat him he has to retire because if I say that it means I’m a bum.
“The world is saying that basically if AJ loses to a guy like me then he’s done but I don’t feel like that’s true.
“AJ can still beat a lot of guys, I just feel confident enough that I can win. I feel like the world is still sleeping on me.”
Joshua, 33, first lost in 2019 in a shock defeat to Andy Ruiz Jr, also 33, but won the rematch six months later.
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Although he failed to repeat history in his pair of bouts with Usyk, 36, where he was outpointed twice.
And Franklin, 29, believes the trio of losses could still bare a mental affect on Joshua, who is without a win since December 2020.
He said: “I won’t say the hunger won’t be the same for him but I think the loss probably messed with him a little bit.
“As fighters we train to be the toughest people ever so one little slip-up, even though it’s not super damaging, can mentally harm you.
“If I think I’m the best and I lose the fight it can set me back. Some stuff can start depression. There is a lot of stuff mentally that comes behind the fight.
“I wouldn’t say he’s declining but he probably could have gone through something mentally that might have backfired on him.
“That one loss could have had him doubting himself. That one little seed of doubt could make him lose.
“Once I’m in a fight and something doesn’t go my way now the doubt comes back.
“He could be winning the fight but if something doesn’t come off the doubt comes right back. It’s about staying mentally strong.”
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
