Anthony Joshua states wrong facts about Mike Tyson's boxing record to justify going 12 rounds
Anthony Joshua tried to use Mike Tyson's boxing record to justify going 12 rounds.
Over the weekend, Anthony Joshua vs. Jermaine Franklin went down at The O2 Arena in London, England. The bout was the former champion's first since losing to Oleksandr Usyk last August and was also his first under new trainer Derrick James.
Sadly, 'AJ' didn't get exactly what he wanted on Saturday night against '989 Assassin'. To his credit, the former two-time titleholder picked up the win by unanimous decision, but wasn't dominant. Neither man did much, with Joshua picking up the win thanks to his cleaner striking.
Following the win, the British star headed to a press conference. Joshua stated that while some might be disappointed with his performance, he's not the only fighter to ever go the distance. He used Mike Tyson as an example, citing his bouts with Pinklon Thomas and Tony Tubbs.
However, that wasn't the case, as 'Iron Mike' finished both men. Nonetheless, Joshua stated at the press conference:
“It’s a fight, don’t get me wrong. It’s a sport where you take people out, but I’ll be honest with you, Mike Tyson went 12 rounds with people like Pinklon Thomas and I think it was Tony Tubbs. What’s wrong with me going 12 rounds, you know what I mean?”
See his comments in the video below:
Anthony Joshua vs. Jermaine Franklin: 'AJ' calls out Tyson Fury
Anthony Joshua vs. Jermaine Franklin ended on Saturday with a tease of what could be next for 'AJ'.
The bout with '989 Assassin' was seen as little more than a tune-up. Joshua badly needed a win coming off his two losses to Oleksandr Usyk, and Franklin had a decent stock after his close loss to Dillian Whyte last year.
Following the victory on Saturday night, the former champion made it clear who he wants next, and it's Tyson Fury. 'The Gypsy King' is currently without his next opponent after his proposed clash with Oleksandr Usyk fell through last month.
In the post-fight press conference, Joshua stated that if it were up to him, a fight with the WBC heavyweight champion would be next.
"100%, Tyson Fury [I want next]. I think that, that's the pot of gold. That's the WBC heavyweight champion of the world, bro. That's what it's about, so yeah. Definitely Tyson Fury."
See his comments in the clip below: