Lennox Lewis reveals ‘concerns’ for Anthony Joshua as he weighs in at heaviest ever for must-win Jermaine Franklin fight
LENNOX LEWIS has been left concerned by Anthony Joshua scaling a career-heaviest for his fight with Jermaine Franklin.
Joshua returns tonight and will do so back at the O2 Arena, where he first became heavyweight champion.
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But instead of challenging for titles, AJ is instead fighting to revive his career with the weight of the world on his shoulders.
And the size of the occasion has seen Joshua, 33, bulk to 18st 3lbs when he weighed in yesterday.
British boxing legend Lewis was asked about whether he believes AJ coming in heavy will come as a disadvantage.
He replied: “Hard to say but it is concerning.”
Joshua was 244lbs – 17st 6lbs – for the heartbreaking second Oleksandr Usyk defeat in August and 4lb lighter for the first.
But AJ weighed a hulking 255lbs – 1lb heavier than his previous most hefty against Carlos Takam in 2017.
And he warned Franklin to expect a brutal battle.
He said: “I’ve got my gameplan, I’ve got my mind right, and I’m just ready to go to war.
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“I know I’ve got the possibility of [a knockout win], 100 per cent, but there’s a process to get there. I just follow that process.”
Franklin, 29, said: He’s probably bulked up a little bit, but we’re ready for whatever.
“We got a chin of steel, so I’m not worried too much about power, he’s still got to be able to touch me with it.”