Anthony Joshua weighs in Jermaine Franklin’s toughest career fight as fans say ‘That’s not even fair’

ANTHONY JOSHUA fights Jermaine Franklin at the heaviest weight of his career as he tries to shoot him out.

AJ – at 18st 3lbs – has almost gained a stone to blast Jermaine Franklin in his comeback fight after back-to-back losses to Oleksandr Usyk in a one-sided war.

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AJ was 244lbs – 17.6lbs – for the heartbreaking second Usyk defeat in August and 240lbs for the original defeat 11 months earlier at Tottenham.

But the 33-year-old marched into west London on Friday at a whopping 255lbs – 1lb heavier than his heaviest to date against Carlos Takam in 2017 – and warned the 29-year-old American it was going to be a brutal fight.

He said: “I’ve got my game plan, I’ve got my mind right.

“I am ready for war.

“I know I can knock him out, but I’m following the process.”

AJ admitted after the Takam fight he was just bloated because the Frenchman came on for Kubrat Pulev at the last minute and he lost sight of the ball.

But under the aggression-loving Derrick James, he seems to have purposely built on powerful muscles to return to his wildest glory days.

Franklin, 234lbs, had been working at a roof insulation company when the call to fight Dillian Whyte came in November and landed in London with a limp 18st 5lbs.

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But after receiving proper training camp for this life-changing opportunity, he ditched his beloved red meat and sugar and lost 25 pounds on Friday in Shepherd’s Bush to look lean and mean.

Fans have taken to social media to discuss AJ’s weight.

One tweeted: “Franklin is being smoked. That’s not even fair.”

A second commented: “It’s not a competition.”

While a third said: “AJ is the next clone of Ivan Drago. A true warrior who does not duck before anyone.

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