Jermaine Franklin arrives at London’s O2 Arena for Anthony Joshua fight 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 was hand-picked to be the comeback opponent for the first fight of AJ’s career rebuild – which he hoped to kick off at the O2 Arena tonight.
Most fighters headlining the North Greenwich dome normally get a five-star ride to the hallowed arena.
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But not Franklin, who opted to hop on the Jubilee line with fight fans for the biggest bout of his career.
Franklin’s manager, Sal Jobe, told SunSport: “We were travelling from Canary Wharf, so it was only one stop because the Blackwall. Tunnel is closed.
“Getting from Canary Wharf from The O2 in a card would’ve been an hour and 30 minutes.
And usually, it’s 15 minutes. So we travelled from Canary Wharf one step to Greenwhich and we had cars waiting for us.”
Boxing fans will have no doubt been stunned by Franklin getting the tube to the arena – although they’ll be even more aghast if the Michigan mauler shocks the world and hands AJ a third consecutive loss.
Defeat tonight could spell the end of Joshua’s career, but Franklin insists the former two-time heavyweight champ should continue fighting if he loses.
He said: “A lot of people are painting the picture that if AJ loses this might be the end of his career and if I win this might project my career.
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“I don’t buy that if I beat him he has to retire because if I say that it means I’m a bum.
“The world is saying that basically if AJ loses to a guy like me then he’s done but I don’t feel like that’s true.
“AJ can still beat a lot of guys, I just feel confident enough that I can win. I feel like the world is still sleeping on me.”
Joshua, however, reckons his glittering story will be over with a third loss on the bounce.
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He said: “How long can this run go on for, three or four years?
“And you know how quick time goes.
“We’re saying this now and we can look back in two years, three years, and be like f***ing hell where’s the time gone?
“So, if I was going to do another run after this, you’re talking about fighting into my forties.
“And I truly believe that boxing is a young man’s sport.
“It takes a real solid character like Bernard Hopkins, George Foreman, Wladimir Klitschko and Alexander Povetkin, to go on into their forties.
“But I think this is a run I want to make successful and then, you know, hopefully, go out on top.”