ANTHONY JOSHUA’S career suffered another bloody nose after he was dragged the distance by Jermaine Franklin and tried to fight him after the bell.
After back-to-back losses to Oleksandr Usyk and the end of his WBA, IBF and WBO world titles, the 33-year-old needed a convincing comeback.
Anthony Joshua locked horns with Jermaine Franklin at the O2 Arena
AJ bid to get back into the win column following back-to-back losses to Oleksandr Usyj
And he found himself involved in a rough-house bout
He arrived with new trainer Derrick James at a career heaviest 18st 3lbs wearing perfect white shorts.
But he couldn’t really put a dent in the flabby 29-year-old former factory worker and his once-resplendent kit ended up bright pink.
There were a couple of boos at the end and then AJ fancied some extra wrestling with the American that threatened to spill into a brawl – finally!
Joshua and Franklin nearly traded ADDITIONAL BLOWS after the final bell after more heated trash talk.
Members of Franklin’s team jumped in and stopped their man from starting a mass brawl.
But thankfully it was cooled and the judges scored it: 118-111, 117-111 and 117-111 for a unanimously underwhelming win.
Joshua apologised for his lacklustre display in an impassioned post-fight interview, saying: “That got a bit chaotic but I am calm now.
“I apologise to anyone who saw that., I respect Jermaine and all the fans.
“Jermaine had a good duck and dive style, he knew how to tuck up, he did well.
“I should have knocked him out but now it is done and we are on to the next.
“When people come to fight me they bring a different type of energy, he was not here to roll over.”
Franklin – who got the tube to the venue after the Blackwall tunnel closure caused gridlock – was so relaxed walking to the ring, punching fists with fans.
He was either living up to his 989 Assassin nickname, or he was just here for a payday and knew his bank balance was set for a huge boost in the morning.
AJ was the opposite, shadowboxing his way into the lights, with new Everlast gloves specially designed and stuffed with horsehair for power punches.
And when he made it to the ring he refused to take his eyes off of Franklin and tried to stare a hole into his dreadlocked head.
Joshua’s early jabs were crisp and Franklin had his head rocked back a couple of times but no real backhands were thrown in the opener. But the Brit hero did need blood wiping away from his nose in the break.
AJ landed his first right hand in the second but Franklin stuck his tongue out to mock him.
A one-two followed and got the partisan crowd roaring but Joshua’s nose was really leaking, it would have caused him problems breathing and it made the centre of his face look like a bullseye for the Saginaw visitor.
Franklin was busy in the third and enjoyed his best session with a couple of combinations.
“But right on the bell the Watford man cracked him with a right hand that might have swayed the judges to award him the stanza.
Joshua was gunshy at times
But managed to land several good shofts in close when Franklin tried to frudtrate him in the clinch
But the anxiety was growing in the arena as Joshua deemed seem in full flow.
Despite height, reach and weight advantages, Joshua refused to impose his will on Franklin and manhandle him.
And there was a worrying end to the fourth when Franklin scored with a combination and the Englishman looked unsure of himself.
As the fifth started AJ’s white shorts were turning oink with his own blood and Franklin was growing in confidence.
Franklin was whacked by a big right hand but he swallowed it without barely blinking, his resilience must have dented Joshua’s self-belief.
Joshua scored with a clever lead uppercut in round six but it encouraged Franklin to return fire.
The same arena that was once a deafening ram-packed cauldron of support for our AJ suddenly felt very quiet and vast.
Franklin had success with his right hand on a number of occasions after closing the distance
But Joshua landed the better and more menacing shots of the night
There were strange signs of nervousness from AJ in the seventh, looking into the crowd when clinching and looking for afters when the bell rang, before referee Marcus McDonnell separated the men for a well-earned rest.
Right at the start of the eighth, AJ landed a rocket on Franklin’s jaw but the same sort of shot that used to fell trees seemed to bounce off the underdog.
When the action ended the pair were rutting like stags and Joshua shoved his opponent away with the inside palm of his gloves. This was a frustrating night turning toxic.
By round nine one former AJ fan in the expensive seats was shouting “hurry up” and “sort it out”.
Then Franklin caught him with a looped up right hand and the arena groaned with fear.
Joshua landed a couple of uppercuts in round 10, one seemed to send a clunk of flesh flying out of Franklin’s mouth.
But AJ’s killer instinct has, at best, faded or, at worst, he is still gunshy from that shocking 2019 loss to Andy Ruiz when he scored a knockdown but was then rocked, dropped and beaten.
Franklin landed his best right hand of the night in round 11 but AJ coped with the straight dig.
There was a final flurry in the last when Franklin looked stung but he was brave and Joshua refused to risk anything.
Over the last decade, we have been desperate for more regular fights from our Olympic icon but when the final belt rang this time, we were glad it was over
Then the row started and Franklin’s assistant trainer tried to get at AJ before ringside pundit Tony Bellew tried to attack the corner man and was pulled away.
Things were bad-tempered after the final bell
Both men had to be held back from trading blows after the bell
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to learn to box?
Boxing is the oldest known martial art. Around 2200 BC, China hosted the first boxing match. Boxing has existed for thousands upon thousands of generations. Today, boxing is still popular among athletes and celebrities. It takes approximately 10 months to master boxing.
Because boxing involves so many movements, it is slow to learn. To perform each movement properly, you need specific muscles. It takes time to train these muscles.
However, once you know how to move your entire body, you can then start any type of boxing technique. And over time, you’ll become more skilled at each technique.
How long does a boxer train per day?
Boxing trainers train for at most 4 hours per day. They also study boxing techniques and learn new moves. Boxers may spar up to ten times per week.
How long does it take to learn boxing?
Learning boxing takes around 3 months. This includes learning the basics like footwork, balance, and stance. It is important to remember that boxing does not just involve throwing punches. It is important to know how to dodge and block attacks.
How can I defend my boxing skills by myself?
Boxing is among the oldest forms of martial art known to man. Boxing can also be considered to one of hardest sports to perform. You can’t just punch someone and knock him out. You must know how to defend yourself from punches and kicks.
Locate a boxing club near you. Once you have found a suitable place to train you’ll need some gloves or headgear. The gloves protect your hands, while the headgear protects you. You will also need shorts and a shirt.
Once you have all your equipment, you need to heat up. Start slowly and work your way up gradually to full speed. Once you feel comfortable, go for it and spar with another boxer. Don’t worry if you miss. Try again until you get it right.
What can I do to improve my fighting defense?
Learn how to fight smart and you can improve your fighting defense. You need to know how defense against attacks from every angle is possible, as well how to counterattack in case of emergency.
You won’t be able to fight if you don’t know what fighting is. You’ll just get beaten up. You’ll just get beat up if you know how fight.
Here are some tips to help you improve your defense:
- You need to know where your opponent is coming from. This means that you have to pay attention to your opponent’s body language. If your opponent appears nervous, it could mean that he’s about to attack again.
- Remain calm. Don’t panic. Instead, keep calm and be focused.
- Block with your arms. You can defend yourself against attacks by blocking with your arms.
- Counterattack. You must immediately counterattack if you see your enemy attacking you.
- Fight dirty. Fighting dirty is another method to defend yourself. You can kick your opponent back if he throws a kick at it.
Statistics
- It is just like normal sparring with a partner, but you want to throw punches at 75% of your normal speed. (wikihow.com)
- You want to be running at roughly 75-80% of your top speed..5 mile slow, easy recovery jog at the end.[6]X Research source 2Mix in long runs, shadow boxing, and short sprints on non-interval days. (wikihow.com)
External Links
en.wikipedia.org
amazon.com
- Amazon.com: Ringside Diablo Wrestling Boxing Shoe – Clothing, Shoes & Jewellery
- Amazon.com – Sanabul Boxing Gloves Elastic 180 Inch Red : Outdoors & Sports
How To
Here are the Basic Skills of Boxing
How to box effectively
Boxing is the most loved sport in the world. Two opponents fight each other to the death. Different countries have different rules. There are generally three types of boxing: Amateur, Professional, and Olympic.
Amateur boxing usually takes place at school, college and university. This form of boxing involves sparring with no protection and using padded gloves. Amateur boxing competitions usually last three rounds and last five minutes each. There are many styles of amateur boxing such as Kickboxing or Muay Thai, Taekwondo and Karate, Judo and Wrestling, among others.
Professional boxing is usually practiced in gyms, clubs or stadiums. They are equipped with protective equipment including a mouthpiece and nose guard, shinguards as well as elbow pads, knee pads. Waist belts and groin protectors. Six rounds of professional boxing last four minutes each. There are many styles of professional boxing: Boxing, MMA (Mixed Martial Arts), Kickboxing and Muay Thai.
Olympic boxing is performed at the Olympics. Special protective gear must be worn by boxers to ensure compliance with international standards. The competition lasts eight rounds of three minutes each. There are only two styles of Olympic boxing; Light Flyweight and Heavyweight.
The basic skills of boxing are:
- Punching techniques
- Guarding techniques
- Footwork
- Stance
- Moving your body
- Defense
- Combination
- Rotation
- Spares
Punching Techniques
There are seven types of punches available: Left Hook and Right Hook, Cross, Cross, Straight, Underhand, Overhand, Cross, Straight, Cross, Straight, Cross, Straight, and Overhand. Each punch comes with its own technique. Some punches are more powerful than others. An example of this is an uppercut, which requires tremendous force. On the other hand, a straight punch requires less power but it is faster than other punches.
There are also different combinations. These are combinations of punches which work together to achieve a goal. A combination can contain multiple parts. An example of this is a left hook, followed by a right crossing. This will damage the opponent’s jaw.
Guard Techniques
A boxer uses his body to protect himself against attacks. He does this by using his legs, arms, elbows, hands, knees and feet.
Legs
Boxers should use their legs to defend against kicks. After receiving a kick, he will raise his leg and move away from the attacker. If the attacker is coming from the front, he will bend at the knees to avoid getting kicked on either side. If the attack comes from behind, however, he can stand straight up and block the kick by his foot.
Elbows
Because they cause great pain, elbow strikes are extremely effective. An elbow strike may be delivered directly or in an indirect manner. Directly means you hit your opponent directly with your forearm. While indirectly, it means you hit him with another section of your arm.
Hands
Boxers use both their hands and arms to prevent incoming blows. Boxers use their hands to stop incoming punches. They raise their fists up above their heads and move towards the attack. The attacker’s fist is then in their face.
Knees
A boxer should bend his knees in order to absorb any blows to his stomach, abdomen, chest or stomach. A lot of boxers use knee strikes to defend themselves.
Feet
Boxers should respond to being attacked by their opponent by standing back and delivering counter-attacks. He can then gain distance from his opponent. Additionally, boxers need to maintain their balance when they counter-attack.
Stances
To box effectively, a boxer must establish a stance. The way he defends him will be dictated by his stance. It is how he positions himself and where he faces the opponent. There are many positions that boxers can adopt. Here are some of the most common ones:
- Low stance
- High stance
- Southpaw stance
- Western stance
Move your body
Boxers must maneuver around their opponent to win fights. This involves changing positions, speed, rhythm and timing.
Rotation
When a boxer throws a punch, he rotates in order to increase the reach of his arm. You can rotate at different speeds depending upon the punch.
Combinations
Timing of each punch is crucial to the effectiveness of a combination. A good combination starts with a strong punch and ends with a weak one.
Spare parts
Sparring is a form of boxing that aims to improve your skills. Sparring is a training session that helps a boxer train his mind and body. The goal of sparring is to learn to fight, and not to get hurt.
Learning to box takes dedication and patience. To become a better boxer, you must train hard and for a long time.
