Anthony Joshua has laughed off Jermaine Franklin’s threat of a knockout on Saturday and insisted this is the “worst time” to face him.
The former heavyweight champion will make his long-awaited return to the ring this weekend in London but, for the first time since 2015, no world title is on the line.
Joshua is looking to bounce back following consecutive defeats by Oleksandr Usyk and he faced his American opponent on Wednesday at a press conference.
“It is the worst time to face me,” Joshua said. “The more he talks, the bigger grave he digs for himself but it is what it is. I could say a lot of things about him but I respect my opponent.
“It is not for me to talk, it is for you to do all the talking and for me to do my job on Saturday. That is really honestly what I am focused on from round one to round 12.
“I am prepared for a 12-rounder but I do believe in my ability, my counter-punching and all that type of stuff to definitely put a dent in Jermaine.
“But I am not here to talk, I am here to do what I have to do because I really want to win.”
Joshua (24-3, 22 KOs) has changed trainers ahead of this fight, with Robert Garcia ditched in favour of Derrick James, who housed the Briton at his World Class Boxing Gym in Dallas over the winter.
While the two-time heavyweight champion has 22 knockouts on his record, he was adamant entertaining his home crowd was not a motivation ahead of Saturday’s clash in London.
He instead insisted it was simply great to be back in the ring after watching rivals Tyson Fury and Usyk recently fail to arrange a unification clash.
“In terms of entertaining, we don’t play boxing, but at the same time people from years back and the empires, they love people coming together and fighting,” the Finchley boxer added.
“There will be entertainment regardless. I think we will see blood and I just really look forward to getting in there again.
“I’m so happy I’m fighting again because when you look at the champions now, it is just a shambles when you are trying to compete with mandatories and negotiations.
“Honestly I can’t believe no fights have been made at championship level.
“I am so happy I can get back to work, get on with my job and I am looking forward to this assignment. I can’t wait honestly. I am really looking forward to it.”
Franklin (21-1, 14 KOs) lost narrowly to Dillian Whyte at Wembley Arena in November but juggled preparing for that fight with work commitments and promised a better version to walk out at the O2 on Saturday.
He said: “In the beginning I was on a health journey, changed my habits, changed stuff I was consuming and my body weight has just started falling off.
“I’m more ready, I’m more in shape and I’m ready to let the fireworks go.
“I will get the win by any means possible, but if I can put him on his a***, that’s what I’m going to do.
“Anything is possible. I come from a place where there are not a lot of possibilities and I made it this far so anything is possible.”
Going grey? A stylist's advice
If you’re going to go grey, a great style, well-cared for hair (in a sleek, classy style, like a bob), and a young spirit and attitude go a long way, says Maria Dowling, founder of the Maria Dowling Salon in Dubai.
It’s easier to go grey from a lighter colour, so you may want to do that first. And this is the time to try a shorter style, she advises. Then a stylist can introduce highlights, start lightening up the roots, and let it fade out. Once it’s entirely grey, a purple shampoo will prevent yellowing.
“Get professional help – there’s no other way to go around it,” she says. “And don’t just let it grow out because that looks really bad. Put effort into it: properly condition, straighten, get regular trims, make sure it’s glossy.”
Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
The%20specs
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Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
The%20specs
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Bert van Marwijk factfile
Born: May 19 1952
Place of birth: Deventer, Netherlands
Playing position: Midfielder
Teams managed:
1998-2000 Fortuna Sittard
2000-2004 Feyenoord
2004-2006 Borussia Dortmund
2007-2008 Feyenoord
2008-2012 Netherlands
2013-2014 Hamburg
2015-2017 Saudi Arabia
2018 Australia
Major honours (manager):
2001/02 Uefa Cup, Feyenoord
2007/08 KNVB Cup, Feyenoord
World Cup runner-up, Netherlands
Results
%3Cp%3EStage%204%3A%0D%3Cbr%3E1.%20Juan%20Sebastian%20Molano%20(COL)%20Team%20UAE%20Emirates%20%E2%80%93%203hrs%2050min%2001sec%0D%3Cbr%3E2.%20Olav%20Kooij%20(NED)%20Jumbo-Visma%20%E2%80%93%20ST%0D%3Cbr%3E3.%20Sam%20Welsford%20(AUS)%20Team%20DSM)%20%E2%80%93%20ST%0D%3Cbr%3EGeneral%20Classification%3A%0D%3Cbr%3E1.%20Remco%20Evenepoel%20(BEL)%20Soudal%20Quick-Step%0D%3Cbr%3E2.%20Lucas%20Plapp%20(AUS)%20Ineos%20Grenaders%20%E2%80%93%207%E2%80%B3%0D%3Cbr%3E3.%20Pello%20Bilbao%20(ESP)%20Bahrain%20Victorious%20%E2%80%93%2011%E2%80%B3%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
'The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey'
Rating: 3/5
Directors: Ramin Bahrani, Debbie Allen, Hanelle Culpepper, Guillermo Navarro
Writers: Walter Mosley
Stars: Samuel L Jackson, Dominique Fishback, Walton Goggins
Need to know
Unlike other mobile wallets and payment apps, a unique feature of eWallet is that there is no need to have a bank account, credit or debit card to do digital payments.
Customers only need a valid Emirates ID and a working UAE mobile number to register for eWallet account.
The biog
Age: 59
From: Giza Governorate, Egypt
Family: A daughter, two sons and wife
Favourite tree: Ghaf
Runner up favourite tree: Frankincense
Favourite place on Sir Bani Yas Island: “I love all of Sir Bani Yas. Every spot of Sir Bani Yas, I love it.”
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MOST%20POLLUTED%20COUNTRIES%20IN%20THE%20WORLD
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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A%20QUIET%20PLACE
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