JAKARTA Former WBO cruising world champion Johnny Nelson suggested Anthony Joshua should retire from boxing if he loses the fight against Jermaine Franklin.
Joshua, who has won the world heavyweight twice, will enter the ring against Franklin at the O2 Arena, London, Saturday, April 1, 2023. This is Joshua's first duel after losing to Oleksandr Usyk in August last year.
"If Anthony Joshua loses, he has to retire. Otherwise, he has to boost his career because it's like a mountain that's hard to climb," Nelson said in his column on Sky Sport, quoted by LiveScore.
The defeat against Usyk in the last fight was Joshua's third defeat in his professional career. It was also the third defeat of the 33-year-old fighter's last five fights.
Before losing to Usyk in the last two duels, Joshua first lost to Andy Ruiz Jr in June 2019. The defeat to Ruiz sensationally ended his unbeaten record in 22 fights.
A series of successes before Usyk's defeat made Joshua still able to be seeded against Franklin. However, if he loses again, his career in boxing can certainly end.
"Especially when you have succeeded and achieved what has been achieved. So, he must not lose. That is a must. Victory in this fight will build confidence," said Nelson.
The fight against Franklin will be the beginning of Joshua's journey to win the heavyweight title again. If you win then Joshua automatically holds the status of three-time champion.
However, Franklin remains Joshua's tough opponent. Franklin is currently 29 years old and has only suffered one defeat in 22 fights that have been fought.
Before fighting Franklin, Joshua was challenged by Tyson Fury. However, their duel was canceled after Anthony Joshua did not want to sign the agreement until the deadline given by Fury.
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