Anthony Joshua: I Want To Make This Run Successful, Then Hopefully Go Out On Top

Former two-time heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua admits that his upcoming fight with Jermaine Franklin is the last chance to rebuild his career.

Joshua collides with Franklin on Saturday night at the O2 Arena in London.

The British superstar is looking to recover after suffering back to back defeats at the hands of unified champion Oleksandr Usyk.

This time around, Joshua has been prepared by new head trainer Derrick James.

Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, said the boxer’s career is at stake with Franklin.

“I think Eddie’s right. Because how long can this run go on for, three or four years? And you know how quick time goes. We’re saying this now and we can look back in two years, three years, and be like f—— hell where’s the time gone? So, if I was going to do another run after this, you’re talking about fighting into my forties and I believe boxing is a young man’s sport,” Joshua said to The Sun. 

“It takes a real solid character like Bernard Hopkins, George Foreman, Wladimir Klitschko or Alexander Povetkin to go on into their forties. But this is a run I want to make successful and then, hopefully, go out on top.

“It’s been a great run. It’s not a level where I’m expecting a certain amount of love and respect. I did want respect from people in the industry that I admire, legends in the game. And when you’re not a champion any more you feel like that goes away, so that was definitely something I was yearning for — the respect from ex-champions. And — when I lost it — I was like ‘F—, I’ve lost that invincibility’. It’s all good, we move forward. Obviously, on the night [with the Usyk rematch], that was probably not a side people see from me every day, but it is what it is, that’s what’s in me. And if you watch me long enough, you’re going to see all types of sh!t.”