The road to another world heavyweight title shot and a potentially record-breaking payday against Tyson Fury begins at the O2 on Saturday night for two-time former champion Anthony Joshua.
AJ is just 1/14 to beat Jermaine Franklin, while his American adversary is priced up at a dismissive 8/1. In the method of victory market the Watford warrior is 1/4 to hand Franklin his first stoppage defeat – with a KO success a necessity for Joshua to remain in the world title conversation this year.
But is Saginaw, Michigan native Franklin the forlorn hope the Betzone odds compilers evidently think he is? And if so how best can we go about finding some value in backing AJ to bounce back in style?
View the latest Boxing odds from Betzone
Anthony Joshua vs Jermain Franklin prediction
There’s a strong suspicion that the matchmaking division of AJ incorporated have unearthed the ideal opponent for their man to remind boxing just how relevant he is in Jermain Franklin.
Franklin earned himself a good deal of credibility from his tight split decision loss to Dillian Whyte in late November 2022. That was the first reverse of the 29-year-old’s 21-fight career, but he proved himself both resilient and ultra game in falling to a narrow defeat.
However, his relative lack of power for the upper echelons of the heavyweight sphere was evident from the confidence with which Whyte marched into range as the fight wore on. Though he has been dubbed ‘Assassin’, just one of Franklin’s last five wins came inside the distance.
It was also a listless showing from The Bodysnatcher, as can be expected down in grade just seven months after a KO defeat in his long-awaited title shot against Tyson Fury. Nonetheless he still came close to stopping the American, who was propped up by the ropes in the dying seconds.
Whyte’s power is less than irresistible at elite heavyweight level, whereas eight of Anthony Joshua’s nine world title fight wins came by KO or TKO – a level of heavy handedness well north of anything Franklin has faced to date.
Joshua also boasts four inches in height and five in reach over his opponent. If he feels he can attack without getting hurt (as Whyte did) there’s not a chance in hell of this fight going the distance. Those in search of decent value in the betting must answer the question of how soon AJ can end it.
Anthony Joshua vs Jermain Franklin betting tips
Grouped Round Betting – Joshua Rounds 4-6 @ 4/1
Total Rounds Completed – 7 or less @ 5/4
AJ produced stoppage wins in each of his first three world title fights against Charles Martin, Dominic Brezeale and Eric Molina. None of them heard the bell for the end of the seventh, with Martin and Molina bowing out in the second and third respectively.
It’s arguable that Joshua hasn’t fought an opponent of their relatively modest level since, until now, with Franklin arguably yet to prove himself even the equal of those men.
The American appeared to tire in the fourth against Whyte before experiencing a second wind in the sixth. If AJ can slow him down by landing consistently during the first three stanzas then rounds 4-6 could well be the timeframe when the smaller man topples decisively to the canvas.
