How Franklin lost 2st for Anthony Joshua fight with strict diet as he reveals very British way he’ll celebrate win
JERMAINE FRANKLIN has beef and a trip to Buckingham Palace on the menu if he beats Anthony Joshua on Saturday.
Since his points defeat to Dillian Whyte in November, the American swapped red meat for fish and fruit smoothies — and lost almost two stone.
And if the underdog can cut down Joshua as impressively as his waistline, he has a very British way to celebrate on Sunday.
Franklin, 29, said: “I stopped eating red meat and cut down on sugar and lost 22lb.
“The things I miss most are probably ribs or steak. I used to love steak. I’d feel really bad — if I smell it, I instantly get hungry!
“Once I win I will have a good pile of ribs and steak and I want to go to see the city a little bit. See Buckingham Palace.
“We went past the Tower of London already but I like to stay in my room and focus before a fight, so I will try to go probably after the fight. After I win, not if I win.”
Joshua refused Franklin’s handshake at the Wednesday press conference as the trash-talk got spicy.
The Michigan man said: “I was going to shake his hand but he turned the opposite way.
“He might have been mad because I said I was going to knock him out.
“I just answered the questions how they asked them — I didn’t mean no disrespect.
“I didn’t disrespect the guy but if they ask me what I think I am going to do, I am going to tell them. I’m not going to sugar-coat it.”
Despite a decade of Olympic and world title wins, in some of Britain’s biggest stadiums, AJ has failed to sell out the 18,000-seat O2.
And that might let the Franklin family fan club overpower Team Joshua and urge their man on to the upset.
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He said: “My mum and sister are coming over. You’re going to see my little sister, she’s a character, she’s a lot of action, a lot of the time.
“You might hear her over a lot of people. They’re going to have to tell her to sit down.”
Franklin’s godmother, nicknamed Boobut, died at the start of the week and the American admits he will not even start trying to grieve until he can get back home.
He said: “She was struggling with some health problems.
“We were very close. She’d always been around, always wished me the best. We always spent a lot of time together, since childhood.
“It was hard to take. I didn’t think it was real. I thought my mum was lying when she told me.
“I have had to put it to the back of my mind until I get back home and can start to process it.”