Two-time former Unified World Heavyweight Champion, Anthony Joshua, has said he will retire if he loses to American boxer Jermaine Franklin.
Gatekeepers News reports that the British-Nigeria boxer was scheduled to fight Tyson Fury in a bout in November or December, however, the fight never came to fruition due to sponsorship issues.
Joshua would later opt to face Franklin come Saturday at the O2 Arena in Greenwich in London.
The former champion will hope to upturn his bad run of form, after losses to Oleksandr Usyk in August of 2022 and get back in contention for the titles,
When asked about a possible end to his career, an excited Joshua said, “I will. I will retire if I lose.”
He added, “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.”
Joshua, while commenting on his post-retirement plans, indicated he was going to enjoy himself despite the pressure he has had to bear in his career
He said, “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.”
Joshua further tried to downplay Franklin’s chances claiming his opponent needed the fight more for his career resurgence.
He said, “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.”
