Anthony Joshua: I ‘ll retire from boxing if Jermaine Franklin defeats me

Anthony Joshua has said that he will retire from boxing if American boxer Jermaine Franklin defeat him.

The upcoming heavyweight boxing match between the duo is scheduled to hold on Saturday, April 1, at the O2 Arena in Greenwich, London.

Joshua, a two-time former unified world heavyweight champion, was earlier scheduled to fight Tyson Fury in a bout but it was not held due to sponsorship issues.

Joshua sees Saturday’s bout as an opportunity to get back to form after losing to Oleksandr Usyk in August of 2022.

“I will retire if I lose.

“I’m not here to battle people. If people want me to retire I will retire. I’m not going to fight if people don’t want me to..

“It’s not even about the money. It’s about the competitor in you. That’s what’s important,” he said.

However, Joshua disclosed Franklin should see Saturday’s bout as an opportunity to face him.

“You’ve got Jermaine Franklin here, who is about 28 pounds lighter than he was against Dillian Whyte’s fight.

‘He’s now got a six-pack and this is what happens when you’re fighting Anthony Joshua. It’s a chance for him [Franklin] to catapult himself into the world of the heavyweight division.”

He added that he would enjoy and live a loving life before his retirement, despite the pressure faced in his career.

“I know when I am retired, I am gonna be chilling.

“‘You lot put so much pressure on me so when I am done, the chains are going to be gone. I am going to be laughing and loving life,” he said.