Anthony Joshua returns to the ring this Saturday, coming off back-to-back losses for the first time in his career. The opponent AJ will be facing Jermaine Franklin in his last bout lost by a close decision.
Once again, Joshua has switched trainers, this time teaming up with Derrick James, who most notably trains Jermell Charlo and Errol Spence. A third loss in a row would be hard to fathom, but let’s not take anything away from Franklin, who had a very competitive bout against albeit an aging Dillian Whyte in November of last year. Prior to that outing, Franklin’s best wins are probably Jerry Forrest (questionable) and Rydell Booker. This main event will be live on DAZN.
This boxing podcaster believes will see a patient boxer in Anthony Joshua in the early goings. Taking his time at range where Joshua is most comfortable working behind his jab to set up his power punches. The biggest question seems to be whether Anthony Joshua will throw meaningful combinations instead of being content with throwing one power punch at a time and jabbing mostly. AJ has a major advantage in reach, so he will want to keep the fight in the middle of the ring to start, then eventually break down Franklin forcing him to the ropes or at least rendering him stationary.
Jermaine Franklin can box on the outside, and it wouldn’t be all that surprising if that’s what he chose to do in the first few frames. At some point, he will have to work his way inside and land big shots. Regardless of which game plan his jab will be key to, as will foot and/or head movement. Franklin can’t make the mistake of standing in front of Joshua for long stints because that’s where Joshua thrives offensively. Can Franklin use the ring or cut the distance, get his shots off, and then smother AJ’s work? Holding and hitting with his free hand will help contain along with frustrate Anthony.
In the end, the offensive talents, especially at range from Anthony Joshua, will be too much to overcome. There is a slight chance we see AJ trying to make a statement by throwing hard combinations too early and ending up getting caught flush in the process. The first chunk of the rounds should be at least somewhat two-way until Anthony finds his timing and, quite frankly, his confidence while throwing multiple punches at a time. Most folks are picking AJ by stoppage, and I agree that’s a smart bet. However, there’s plenty of value in AJ by decision ranging from +325 to +400 and above, depending on where you place a bet.
My Official Prediction is Anthony Joshua by late TKO.
Here in America, Tulsa, Oklahoma, to be exact, Robeisy Ramirez takes on the experienced Isaac Dogboe for a vacant WBO featherweight title streaming live on ESPN+. A decorated amateur, Ramirez has come a long way since shockingly losing his pro debut in 2019. Having gone at least eight rounds twice and a 10-rounder versus Orlando Gonzalez in 2021, Ramirez is more than ready for this matchup. Making sure a young boxer gets enough rounds is important, but in his last 3 bouts, Robeisy proved he’s a real threat at the 126-pound division. No, he hasn’t defeated a top-level guy just yet. However, those amateur habits and tendencies (that many boxers must break) Ramirez showed early on are behind him; he’s now made the adjustment to the pros. He was always a fast puncher, but now it comes with not only accuracy but explosiveness.
Isaac Dogboe is a certified warrior in the ring, and we already know he will show his fighting spirit this Saturday night. Dogboe has strung together four victories after losing twice in a row to Emanuel Navarrete. Names like Chris Avalos, Christopher Diaz, Joet Gonzalez, and Adam Lopez are quality boxers no doubt. To be fair, the last three wins have come via majority or split decision. It’s not a stretch to have thought he lost one or even possibly two of those fights.
Dogboe is a tough son of a gun, but his defense is poor, and facing a guy with the pedigree and hand speed of Ramirez is a tough task. That’s not to say Isaac won’t find some success, but he better brings the pressure from the jump. The more time Robeisy has to find the holes in Dogboe’s defense, the tougher it gets for Isaac to pull off the upset. Ramirez’s accuracy, cleverness, and overall power with hand speed will overwhelm Dogboe unless he lands something very big very early. The under is looking like the play, and this boxing junkie got it at +124 on MyBookie.
My Official Prediction is Robeisy Ramirez by mid-to-late stoppage.
Side Note: From Tulsa on the undercard, Joet Gonzalez vs. Enrique Vivas, along with prospects like Delante Johnson and Emiliano Vargas, fill out the event. In what could be an interesting matchup, Jahi Tucker takes on his toughest test to date in Nikoloz Sekhniashvili.
Written by Chris Carlson, Host/Producer of The Rope A Dope Radio Podcast Available at www.blogtalkradio.com/ropeadoperadio Follow on Twitter @RopeADopeRadio