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      Meet Jermaine Franklin, Anthony Joshua’s next opponent who used to make insulation wool and lived with his gran

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      JERMAINE FRANKLIN was making insulation wool for a roofing firm last year and now holds the key to Anthony Joshua not stuffing up his career.After much hype and big-battle rumours, 33-year-old AJ has selected the 29-year-old American to be his comeback opponent on April 1 – no joke – at Wembley Arena.
      Jermaine Franklin used to make insulation wool prior to his boxing careerCredit: Getty
      Franklin faces Anthony Joshua on April 1Credit: Instagram / @989_assassin
      Anthony Joshua’s career could be over if he loses to Jermaine FranklinCredit: Getty
      Because Eddie Hearn insisted his star attraction and London 2012 legend would not accept a gimme-comeback.
      He even suggested a Dillian Whyte rematch – but this will underwhelm fans.
      Even though Franklin took Whyte the distance in November – where he lost a close decision – he proved he is desperately short of fitness and power and will pose little-to-no-threat to the Joshua rebuild.
      Thankfully, the hard-working Michigan man will earn life-changing money that will keep one of those snug roofs over his and his family’s head for many years.
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      In the build-up to his Whyte loss, where he pushed the Body Snatcher too close for comfort with frequent but zip-free digs, Franklin said: “Every fight helps, every payday helps.
      “It’s not just one, it is all of them.”
      When he was still a child growing up in the deprived-but-proud city of Saginaw, he moved into live with his grandmother Bernice, helping her around the home as she struggled with mobility. 
      It seems he has always been fighting for his family and his community and now he has three children of his own, the cause has never been more important.
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      Credit: SUNSPORT
      🥊 Anthony Joshua vs Jermaine Franklin – Date, live stream, TV channel and all you need to know about heavyweight bout
      “I moved in to help my granny out when I was still in high school,” he revealed. “To take care of her.
      “That’s my grandmother so I can never just let her go without, it’s got to be done.
      “That’s some of the things boxing has given me; how to control my temper and how to stay focused.
      “My community has always supported me, even though it was a little rough growing up. But every area has a rough area so we just overcome as much as we can.
      “We all hit that wall sometimes but they help me and push me.”
      Franklin could have made some very easy money when he last visited the UK by acting up and making a name for himself.
      He could have talked trash and put his high-heeled boots up on the press conference table, like Jarrell Miller did when he visited to sell a doomed AJ fight.
      He could have labelled himself a “king” like Charles Martin did before he surrendered his world title to AJ on 2015, ending one of the worst reigns in the history of the division.
      He could, like so many metaphorically and literally hungry fighters, have made a spectacle of himself.
      A pantomime villain to secure himself a recurring role in a series of soap opera shows.
      Instead, in both the build-up and the painful fall-out when he was on the harsh side of an away decision, he kept his cool and his class and helped get himself another fight.
      But this is no overnight success, he has been grafting – as both an opponent and a sparring partner – for almost a decade.
      Franklin said: “Everyday is a grind. Some days you wake up tired and cramping and it feels like you are fighting yourself, really. But I make it happen.”
      His lack of knockout power means boxing intelligence is essential and he has been showing ring smarts for as long as he has been on the periphery of the big stage.
      In 2019, when asked to evaluate the division’s biggest hitters, he said of Joshua, who was yet to lose to Andy Ruiz Jr and Oleksandr Usyk: “AJ can punch but he will always be tired after about six or seven rounds.
      “He will always punch himself out. All of those big guys are the same.”
      But Franklin prefers to use his dialogue for something much more respectable.
      He said: “I don’t pray for success. If you want success you have to go out and get it.
      “I pray to God to thank him for the chance to go out and get my success and giving me the life that I already have.
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      “Prayer has always been a big part of what I am doing.”
      With God in his corner, he might be more dangerous than Team Joshua thinks.
      Anthony Joshua (left) is heavy favourite to beat Jermaine FranklinCredit: PA
      Jermaine Franklin (right) lost to Dillian Whyte in November 2022Credit: PA More

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      I’m British boxing’s best loser with just 13 wins in 170 fights but I’ve never been KO’d… people think I’m a nutter

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      LEWIS VAN POETSCH is hanging up his battle-worn gloves as British boxing’s best loser after the cost of winning became too much.The brave 32-year-old Bristol journeyman has served the hardest sport for a decade, after boxing as a boy and as a proud member of the Rifles regiment that fought for us in Afghanistan.
      Journeyman boxer Lewis Van Poetsch is hanging up his glovesCredit: Instagram / @poochi_17
      The former military man (left) has won just 13 of his 170 fightsCredit: Alamy
      The fearless showman has always been the away fighter, never had any fans, juggled a full-time job and taken fights without a moment’s notice – sometimes with a hangover!
      But bout 170 on March 25 in his hometown – with his current record standing at 13-152-4 – will be his last after the racking up of too many injuries and victories finally counted him out.
      Thanks to promoter Frank Warren generously providing Poochi with a press pass for Anthony Yarde’s heroic defeat against Artur Beterbiev, he sat down with SunSport to explain why now is the time to bow out.
      “I’ve done my 10 years and this was always going to be my last year,” he said while expertly running the rule over the undercard.
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      “I’ve got all my faculties intact and I am ready. I am starting to feel my aches and pains more. It’s a young man’s sport and I was always able to hold my own and I don’t want to lose that.
      “I have been doing this at the top level for a long time and I make things hard for these lads – most of the time – and as soon as I stop doing that, what’s the point?
      “When I decided this would be my last year I decided I wanted to show people what I could really do in a few fights. I had played the game for so long and I wanted some rewards.
      “So I won three fights, two inside the distance, got robbed for a draw and a very dodgy decision loss. In my eyes I have won five of my last seven fights.
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      “It wasn’t a ‘f*** you’ to the industry but I wanted to leave a little mark on the sport.
      “After winning my last fight the phone was silent for about six weeks and then I had to fight a brilliant prospect who absolutely peppered me!
      “When you start winning, that phone goes quiet, it must be the only job in the world where improvement and success get punished! So that element I will not miss.”
      To a non-boxing fan the role of the journeyman is a tough one to explain. 
      They are some of the most talented defensive fighters in the game but are perpetual losers.
      They have some of the highest integrity in the bleeding business but are not supposed to triumph.
      From the outside they look like cannon fodder. But inside the industry and the ropes, they are some of the sharpest minds, bravest hearts and most decent fellas.
      The former soldier, barber, lift engineer and now trainee referee said: “I think the job of a journeyman will always be a mystery. If you’re in the industry you understand it fully but from the outside, to the layman, it’s so hard.
      “When I tell a casual fan what my record is they think I’m a liar, or a nutter, or an idiot, or all three! 
      “People think you’re a human punchbag or you’re taking dives for money. But you have to be extremely good, whack very hard, or have one of the best nights of your career to stop me.
      “I see it, when these hot young prospects can’t hurt or stop me, that it p***es them off and I love that, I take it as a sign of respect.
      “I have always taken great pride in taking these young knockout kings the distance and showing them a bit of boxing.
      The brave 32-year-old Bristol journeyman has served the hardest sport for a decadeCredit: Getty
      “I have never been knocked out and I will proudly take that accolade to the grave. I have been stopped on my feet but never waved off or counted out on the ground.”
      The risks courageous men of Poetsch’s dying ilk are willing to take – to keep struggling shows on and help nurture young prospects – is staggering.
      They get paid, thank God, but it’s clear from one overdue evening in Poochi’s brilliant company that the money means almost nothing.
      “I took a dangerous fight on 10 hours notice against John Docherty in Newcastle,” he remembers of the 2019 bout with the 2018 Commonwealth Games bronze winner.
      “I was on my way to Liverpool for a different fight when that got cancelled, so I had a Burger King and was heading for the pub.
      “The call came just before I could get a round in and off I went, lasted all six rounds too.
      “I went to the Ally Pally as a fan for a show before Christmas, I even did a bit of commentary for Sky. 
      “But Lerrone Richards had to pull out of his fight with Zak Chelli and the idea of me stepping in was floated. 
      “It didn’t happen in the end but I was ready and willing and that’s an example of the sort of notice you get, as a journeyman.
      “Every journeyman has one or more stories like that. I know it sounds mad but that’s what we do. 
      “I have probably only lived a proper dedicated boxer’s life for 10 per cent of my career.
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      “I’ve always loved the pub, I might have had the odd fight hungover, I maybe could have won a few more than I did. But I’ve always known my role and I hope I’ve done it pretty well. I have held up my side of the bargain. I feel like I earned my stripes in this sport.”
      SunSport salutes you Poochi. Tickets for Poochi’s last dance at The Galleries in Bristol on March 25 can be bought from the hero himself @poochi_17. More

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      Gervonta Davis’ fight with Ryan Garcia in danger of collapse with two sides yet to agree on terms of rematch clause

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      THE mouthwatering lightweight showdown between Gervonta Davis and Ryan Garcia is in major doubt.The 135lb sensations were on course to throw down in a Las Vegas super-fight on April 15 after Davis’ win over Hector Garcia last month.
      Gervonta Davis is set to face Ryan Garcia on April 15Credit: GETTY
      The lightweight showdown is set to take place in Las VegasCredit: GETTY
      Promoter Oscar De La Hoya has revealed the fight is currently up in the airCredit: GETTY
      But negotiations have hit a snag as both parties are squabbling over who will be the A-side should a rematch come to fruition.
      Golden Boy Promotions chief Oscar De La Hoya told ESPN: “It boils down to who’s going to control the rematch.
      “We’re literally down at the 1-yard line; what’s holding everything up is the rematch clause.
      “It’s only fair if Ryan wins, then our side controls everything as the A-side.
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      “This is just the way it always has been. … It’s common sense that whoever wins is the A-side.
      “That’s the bottom line. We’re not reinventing the wheel here.”
      Broadcasting rights are a small part of the rematch quarrel, with the PBC and Showtime adamant they should retain them if a rematch happens.
      De La Hoya said: “Al Haymon is dictating everything. … They’ve asked for this, asked for that.
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      “Who comes out first, the penalties if Ryan comes overweight.
      “We’ve given in, we’ve negotiated, and everything has been very pleasant.
      “If Ryan loses, sure, there’s no rematch.
      “It’s been a pleasant negotiation, it really has. I really hope their side doesn’t fumble the ball and we have no Super Bowl.
      “We at Golden Boy are just protecting our TV partners.
      “It’s only fair that everything gets switched around if Ryan wins.”
      Despite the current roadblock, De La Hoya is hoping the fight will get made.
      He said: “We’re holding strong because we know it’s fair and we feel 1,000% this fight is going to be made and be the biggest fight of the past few years.” More

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      Anthony Joshua vs Jermaine Franklin tale of the tape: How two heavyweight rivals compare ahead of comeback fight

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      ANTHONY JOSHUA will bid to return to the win column in a must-win showdown with rising heavyweight Jermaine Franklin.The former two-time unified heavyweight champ will throw down with the American at the O2 Arena on April 1.
      Anthony Joshua will throw down with Jermaine Franklin on April 1
      Joshua will look to rCredit: GETTY
      How the two hard-hitting heavyweights compare ahead of their showdownCredit: SUNSPORT
      AJ will look to start rebuilding his career with a win over the Michigan mauler following back-to-back defeats to pound-for-pound king Oleksandr Usyk.
      Defeat would be curtains for Joshua’s hopes of challenging for a world title again – making his return to the O2 a must-win affair.
      So with that in mind, SunSport thought it’d only be right to break down the dust-up.
      Age
      Father Time is on the side of Franklin, who is on the right side of thirty at 29.
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      Watford warrior Joshua is nearly four years Franklin’s senior at 33 – although he’ll turn 34 in October.
      Experience
      AJ has the edge over Franklin when it comes to experience as he turned pro two years earlier than his upcoming foe.
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      The golden boy of British boxing has had 27 professional bouts since winning gold at London 2012 – coming out victorious 24 times.
      Franklin, who turned pro in April 2015, has taken to the ring 22 times as a professional.
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      Physical
      Joshua will have a height and reach advantage over Franklin, standing at 6’6 in comparison to the 6’2 ‘989 Assassin’.
      AJ’s reach is 82 inches, while Franklin’s arms extend out 77 inches.
      Franklin will likely be heavier on fight night – despite being the smaller man.
      Musclebound Joshua tipped the scales at 17 stone and one pound for his Saudi showdown with Usyk last August.
      Franklin weighed in at a mammoth 18 stone, three pounds for his closely-contested clash with Dillian Whyte last year.
      Form
      Joshua is currently on the worst run of his title-filled career thanks to his back-to-back defeats to Usyk, who is gearing up for an undisputed showdown with Tyson Fury.
      Franklin, meanwhile, suffered the first loss of his professional career – albeit a controversial one – to Whyte last November.
      Prior to that, he was riding a 21-fight win streak – which included 14 knockout victories. More

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      Inside Aaron Chalmers’ incredible rise from scaffolder, to Geordie Shore star-turned fighter who faces Floyd Mayweather

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      AARON CHALMERS would never have bet he would be a TV celebrity on the cusp of fighting boxing royalty when he was stuck on the oil rigs. Chalmers shot to fame on MTV’s hit reality series Geordie Shore but swapped the booze for boxing in recent years.
      Aaron Chalmers working as a scaffolderCredit: Instagram
      Aaron Chalmers shot to fame on Geordie ShoreCredit: Splash News
      Aaron Chalmers has fought in pro MMA and boxingCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      And he has landed himself a life-changing fight against American great Floyd Mayweather, on February 25 at the O2 Arena.
      It marks an incredible rise for Chalmers, who at one point questioned his life prospects while scaffolding on the rig.
      He told SunSport: “I used to stand there, obviously because it was on the water, I used to stand looking into the middle of the sea and think, ‘There’s got to be something better for me, there has to be something different.’
      “I couldn’t see myself doing it for the rest of my life, on the oil rigs, but I never f*****g thought it would lead to this.
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      “If someone had told me ten years ago, ‘Put a bet on that you’re going to fight Floyd Mayweather’ I would’ve been like, ‘No chance.’
      “It hasn’t sunk in, I’m going to be honest with you. It still hasn’t sunk in that it’s happening.
      “But it is happening and hopefully it’s going to do me wonders for my fight career.”
      Chalmers left the construction trade at 26 to sign up for a life of partying in the Geordie Shore house, where he spent four years of his life.
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      And the same strive for something bigger in life is what has helped him land a meeting in the ring with boxing’s best in Mayweather.
      Chalmers, 35, said: “There was something in us, I just knew I wasn’t going to be scaffolding for the rest of my life.
      “I couldn’t tell you what it was going to be, but I just couldn’t see myself being on the oil rigs for the rest of my life.
      “Which was a good job by the way, I was getting well paid, but there was just something in us, I never settle.
      “I always want to push on and try and get something more and, even last year was a quiet year but I kept thinking, ‘I’m going to get something big, something big’s going to come.’
      “Now here we are in possibly the biggest fight of my entire life. It doesn’t get much bigger than this.”
      Aaron Chalmers had four years on Geordie ShoreCredit: Getty – Contributor
      Aaron Chalmers made his MMA debut in 2017Credit: Getty Images – Getty
      Chalmers packed his Geordie Shore bags to make a switch to professional fighting in 2017, debuting in MMA.
      After three years, seven bouts and five wins, he made the move to boxing last July, beating Alexander Zeledon.
      During the six-year period, Mayweather, 45, officially retired from the sport but has continued to box in exhibition bouts.
      And he announced plans to debut in the UK but was left scrambling for an opponent when Muay Thai legend Liam Harrison, 37, pulled out injured.
      Chalmers took it upon himself to reach out to a mutual contact he has within Mayweather’s team to put himself forward.
      And after a few days of agonising negotiations and waiting, he was given the green light.
      Floyd Mayweather beat YouTuber Deji in his last exhibitionCredit: Lee Hamilton-Cooper
      Aaron Chalmers had a 5-2 MMA recordCredit: Per Häljestam
      Chalmers said: “It’s surreal, seeing the promotion stuff online, seeing him and me in the same videos, it’s like, ‘This is actually happening.’
      “It’s crazy. I’m not sleeping too bad, I think because I’m training so hard I don’t sleep too bad!
      “But about an hour before bed, I’m thinking, ‘What the f***, I’m going to be fighting Floyd Mayweather, it’s crazy.”
      Chalmers has been training since the new year, having accepted a fight on KSI’s Misfits promotion against an 80kg southpaw.
      And after being afforded the deal of a lifetime, Chalmers hopes for more to come in a jam-packed 2023.
      He said: “There’s been phone calls, Whatsapps, I feel after the Floyd fight things are going to explode on the boxing scene for me.
      “There’s talks about fights for me in April, May, July, so everything’s opening up now and that’s before we’ve even had the fight.

      “So if I can go in there and put on a good performance, who knows what’s going to come after it.”
      Chalmers has overcome bouts of anxiety during his career, fighting off the harsh trolls online.
      And now he finds himself just weeks away from an extraordinary exhibition with Mayweather, in just his second boxing bout.
      He said: “The thing is, social media these days everyone’s got an opinion.
      “So you can listen to everyone’s opinion or think, f*** them and do your own thing.
      “I used to look and listen to the comments and think, ‘Maybe I’m doing the wrong thing.’ But if I listened to everyone’s comments I’d never leave the house.
      “Apparently I’m a s*** dad, I’m a s*** boxer, I’m a s*** f*****g drinker, everything online I’m s*** at.
      “But I’ve had a f*****g successful ten-year career since leaving the scaffold so I can’t be that at things.
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      “So yeah, I feel like you have to brush it to one side. Everyone’s going to have an opinion, but they’re not doing what I’m doing.”
      Aaron Chalmers is 1-0 as a boxerCredit: Instagram @aaroncgshore More

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      Roy Jones Jr to make boxing return aged 54 and take on UFC hero Anthony Pettis in bizarre eight-round professional clash

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      ROY JONES JR is set to return to the ring to take on ex-UFC star Anthony Pettis.The fight is set to be the main event on a pay-per-view card promoted by Jorge Masvidal’s Gamebred Boxing.
      Roy Jones Jr has not fought professionally since 2018Credit: Getty
      Anthony Pettis is a former UFC Lightweight championCredit: Getty
      The event is being organised by UFC star Jorge Masvidal
      And it is one of several match ups that will see boxers clash with MMA fighters including Jose Aldo and Vitor Belfort.
      Jones, 54, is set to fight Pettis in an eight-round clash that will take place on April 1 at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
      The former four-division champion has not entered the ring since taking on Mike Tyson in an exhibition bout in November 2020.
      And he last fought professionally in February 2018 when he beat Scott Sigmon.
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      Pettis has never boxed and his last MMA fight was in August, suffering a second defeat in a row to Stevie Ray.
      The 36-year-old was UFC Lightweight champion between 2014-25 but left the organisation in 2021.
      Event organiser Masvidal revealed he has always been a fan of Jones and was keen to work with the boxing legend.
      He told the MMA Hour: “I’ve always been a fan of Roy Jones
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      “Always wanted to work with Roy Jones in some capacity. He’s going to be fighting someone that inspired me in my career numerous times. WEC champion, UFC champion, I think both his wins for the UFC title were finishes.
      “[Pettis] has knockouts and finishes at 145, 155, 170, it’s crazy what this guy has done in his career in MMA. Great striker.
      “He agreed to fight the walking, living legend, the pound-for-pound king, one of the best fighters, athletes, I’ve ever seen in combat sports, period, versus Anthony Pettis.” More

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      Tyson Fury makes his prediction for Tommy Fury fight with Jake Paul and reveals how he thinks clash will pan out

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      TYSON FURY has made his prediction for how he thinks his brother Tommy’s long-awaited fight with Jake Paul will unfold.The celebrity boxing rivals are in camp after announcing the latest rescheduling of their bout, on February 26 in Saudi Arabia.
      Tyson Fury believes Tommy Fury will wear down Jake PaulCredit: Instagram @tommyfury
      He thinks the ‘Problem Child’ will be stopped late on in the fightCredit: Getty
      Paul, 26, has set up shop in Dubai, just 700 miles away from the scene of the pay-per-view fight in Riyadh.
      Meanwhile Fury, 23, has been training in Bolton at the Elite-Boxing in Bolton, headed up by head coach Alex Matvienko.
      And he welcomed Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship star Danny Christie through their doors to spar this week.
      WBC heavyweight champion Fury, 11 years the senior of Tommy, is adamant his sibling will be too good for “The Problem Child” and will wear down and eventually stop his rival.
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      He told IFL TV: “I don’t think it’s going to be a one round, two-second knockout, one punch type of job.
      “I think he’ll wear him down. [It’s eight rounds], so I think Tommy can wear him out and stop him later on in the last few rounds.
      “As soon as Tommy hits him with some hard punches, I want to see what Jake Paul’s made of.
      “Because when Tommy hits me with hard punches and big gloves on, it hurts me.
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      “I know Jake ain’t as tough as me or as big as me so he’s definitely going to be feeling pain, a lot of it.”
      This is the THIRD time that Tommy – who won the hearts of the nation and Molly-Mae Hague on hit show Love Island – and Paul have attempted to get it on in the ring.
      The Brit was forced to pull out twice before due a rib injury and US visa issue.
      And Paul has recently claimed that his rival missed his chance of success as he stands primed to end it all with a KO. More

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      ‘They know there’s a cost of living crisis, right?’ – Boxing fans fume at DAZN price to watch Anthony Joshua fight

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      FANS have been shocked at the price it will cost to watch Anthony Joshua fight Jermaine Franklin.The Brit will make his comeback against the American on April 1 at the O2 Arena in London.
      Anthony Joshua will return to the ring in AprilCredit: PA
      He will be fighting Jermaine Franklin (left) and it will be streamed on DAZNCredit: PA
      It will be his first fight since he lost his rematch with Oleksandr Usyk back in August.
      The bout will be shown live on DAZN in the UK.
      However, the monthly price to subscribe to the service has jumped from £7.99 to £19.99 per month.
      Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn has a partnership with DAZN and promoted what is coming up this year in a tweet captioned: “No PPV (Pay Per View). Just a small taster of what is to come in 2023.”
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      This has left many fans of the sport fuming with them taking to social media to vent their frustrations.
      One tweeted: “The cheek to say no PPV when the subscription fee to Dazn has just gone up.”
      A second commented: “Going to a supermarket to decide on whether to buy these eggs or get a DAZN monthly subscription is not the executive decision I’m prepared to be making in 2023, got dang it.”
      A third wrote: “They know there’s a cost of living crisis right?
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      “With BT I get moto GP, the footy, UFC and boxing. Sky the same plus NFL and F1. Dazn? Skye Nicholson and Turkish MMA. Bye, bye Eddie!”
      A fourth said: “Technically, it still is because you have to pay to view it on DAZN, and they have just magically increased the monthly fee to £19.99 per month, timely.”
      A fifth added: “No PPV but PPV price every month?”
      Speaking on the fight, Hearn has said: “You go into that fight in April – you know that with defeat, it’s all over, really. It would be a third back-to-back defeat.
      “And yet a great performance and a showreel knockout gets everyone saying, ‘We’re back, we’re back baby.’
      “That’s what I can’t wait for, because I love it when our backs are against the wall.
      “That’s the best moments and this is one of those moments for AJ. He wants a big fight in the summer.
      “The one that would make sense and the one that should be hopefully quite straightforward to make is the rematch with Dillian Whyte.
      “We’re open to a Deontay Wilder fight, we’re open to a Tyson Fury fight.” More