.png)
Anthony Joshua's propensity and willingness to compete against the best in the heavyweight category are readily apparent from a glance at his résumé. But Joshua will return to the ring in what is being seen as a significant drop-down in competition after losing to Oleksandr Usyk twice in a row.
This Saturday at the O2 Arena in London, Joshua (24-3, 22 KOs) will try to brutally put an end to Jermaine Franklin's night. Joshua will have recently hired trainer Derrick James in his corner. Franklin is seeking to rebuild himself after dropping a contentious decision to Dillian Whyte just a few months ago, much like Joshua is doing for Joshua. However, the 29-year-old is currently listed as a giant underdog.
Deontay Wilder is unsure whether the former Olympic gold winner will return to winning ways despite popular opinion.
Joshua, who is typically outgoing and simple to spot, has maintained a relatively low profile over the past few months. Although he has tried to keep his most recent training regimen a secret, brief glimpses of his exercises have been made public.
Overall, Wilder (43-2-1, 42 KOs) continues to have his reservations despite ramping up his work ethic. But the Alabama native believes that the 33-year-old has a laser-like focus.
“If Joshua ain’t on his sh!t, he’ll get beat,” said Wilder to ESNEWS. “We’ll see how it goes.”
While this is going on, Wilder is starting a pre-camp and getting ready to return to the arena. In addition to a long roster of potential opponents, Wilder has expressed interest in facing Francis Ngannou, a recent promotional free agent and former UFC heavyweight champion, as well as Andy Ruiz Jr. and Oleksandr Usyk.