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'You’re Standing In The Way' - Jermaine Franklin Calls Out Deontay Wilder
The boxing world is buzzing with excitement over the potential return of hard-hitting heavyweight Deontay Wilder. Although there was anticipation for a showdown between Wilder and Anthony Joshua in Saudi Arabia in early 2024, discussions have stalled, altering the boxing scene in the nation. Both fighters are seeking new opponents to reestablish themselves after suffering major defeats—Joshua to Oleksandr Usyk and Wilder to Tyson Fury. In a recent interview with Seconds Out, American boxer Jermaine Franklin, who has previously gone the distance with Joshua and Dillian Whyte, expressed interest in facing Wilder.
“Yeah, I mean, anybody at the top. I feel like, with all due respect, if you’re at the top, you’re standing in the way. I’m a competitor at the end of the day and I got a family to feed.”When asked if he would emulate the strategy used by Tyson Fury to defeat Wilder, Franklin was hesitant to commit. He acknowledged that while he has observed useful techniques from Fury, their fighting styles are distinct, making it difficult to adopt an identical approach. He emphasized the need for caution when facing Wilder's renowned punching power but stated his willingness to engage both strategically and aggressively when the opportunity arises.
“I can’t really say that cause me and Fury are two different style fighters. But I seen some things that he was doing that could help. I seen some of the things he did when we sparred. I’d utilise that. I don’t want to steal stuff from people. But we’re perfecting our prep, I view a lot of footage, I see small things to use but I wouldn’t say he gave me an overall game plan of beating Wilder.” “I mean yeah, he has power, you have to be aware of the power, you don’t want to be putting yourself in a situation where you get clobbered with the right hand, but I like to box, I like to brawl. When the time presents itself, I’ll be strategic but do what I gotta do. I”ll try to be smart about it.”A Franklin vs. Wilder match could be a significant bout for both fighters at this juncture of their careers. It would also be an engaging contest for Wilder, who has been inactive since his last one-round fight in October of the previous year.
