“Joshua is not the same as he used to be. He did not cope with the pressure, he does not have a cold head for this, which he once again demonstrated after the fight, ”says Otto Wallin, until recently one of AJ's possible opponents.
“I don’t see any change in Joshua with a new coach. A typical British fighter, a little open to opponent's blows, ”said boxing analyst Teddy Atlas.
“In my opinion, Joshua made a mistake and should have stayed with Robert Garcia longer. It was a defeat, but a good fight against Usyk. And such a defeat will teach you more than two victories like the one with Franklin,” said veteran Sergio Mora.
“AJ entered the ring with the heaviest of his career, but showed the best“ engine ”than ever. This is a good sign,” said another retired boxer Carl Frampton.
“The truth is Martin Bakole would beat Joshua today,” said fellow veteran Alex Arthur.
“Joshua fought carefully. After several blows, his hand returned faster than it flew out with a blow. To return to the top, he must get rid of these problems, ”said former heavyweight champion Enzo Maccarinelli.
After twelve rounds, the judges gave the victory to Joshua over Jermain Franklin (21-2, 14 KOs) with a score of 118-111 and twice 117-111. This was Joshua's first appearance in the ring with Derrick James in the corner.