Jermaine Franklin arrives at London’s O2 Arena to fight Anthony Joshua on the TUBE with other fighters stuck in traffic

JERMAINE FRANKLIN proved he’s a man of the people – by taking the TUBE to his fight with Anthony Joshua.

The American has been handpicked as a comeback opponent for the first fight of AJ’s career rebuild – which he was set to begin tonight at the O2 Arena.

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Most fighters leading the North Greenwich Dome are usually awarded a five-star ride to the sacred arena.

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But not Franklin, who opted to jump in the Jubilee line with fight fans for the biggest fight of his career.

Boxing fans will no doubt have been stunned when Franklin brought the subway into the arena – although they will be even more horrified when Michigan’s Mauler shocks the world and gives AJ a third straight loss.

Tonight’s loss could mean the end of Joshua’s career but Franklin insists the former two-time heavyweight champion should keep fighting if he loses.

He said: “A lot of people paint the picture if AJ loses it could be the end of his career and if I win it could project my career.

“I don’t think he has to give up if I hit him because if I say that it means I’m a bum.

“The world says that if AJ loses to a guy like me it’s basically over, but I don’t feel like that’s true.

“AJ can still beat a lot of guys, I’m just confident enough that I can win. I feel like the world is still sleeping on me.”

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Joshua, however, expects his glittering history to be over in a heartbeat with a third loss.

He said, “How much longer can this run go on, three or four years?

“And you know how quickly time flies.

“We’re saying that now and we can look back in two years, three years and ask the fuck where has the time gone?

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“So if I wanted to do another run after that, you talk about fighting into my 40s.

“And I really believe that boxing is a sport for young men.

“It takes a really solid character like Bernard Hopkins, George Foreman, Wladimir Klitschko and Alexander Povetkin to go into your forties.

“But I think this is a run that I want to make successful and then, you know, hopefully go to the top.”