Anthony Joshua’s ‘main motivation for fighting Jermaine Franklin is money’

Like the Titanic rising from the depths, Anthony Joshua resurfaced under the English sun.

AJ had been missing from public view for six months since ‘little’ Oleksandr Usyk’s second crippling loss doomed him to the post-title boxing slump of life.

He flew in from his hideout in Texas and reappeared at a hotel near Heathrow airport to confirm his return fight.

That will take place not in a football stadium, but in his old slugging ground at the 02 Arena, where he first became heavyweight champion of the world.

That seems appropriate. But the date, April Fool’s Day, not so much.

Since Joshua gave us all such an exciting ride from Olympic gold to all those alpha belts, fingers crossed in the hope that it doesn’t bode well for him but for the opponent.

Jermaine Franklin was an unknown outside of America until he arrived in London a few months ago, fought AJ’s old rival, Dillian Whyte, and went home convinced the local decision victory had been stolen from him.

Now, to the loser tonight, the loot. Namely, the richest bag of his young life.

When Franklin’s name came up again, the fighting game’s first reaction was to shrug.

Joshua now strives to dispel the illusion that this fight will be a piece of cake to return to the championship spotlight.

“He’s a very good fighter,” AJ said. “I respect him to the extent that I have buried myself in Dallas all this time. I have moved away from all distractions.

‘Away from my business although I admit that money is my main motivation to keep fighting because I never want to go back to the hard life I came from. Being broke and depressed and out. Not me, not anyone in my family. After all is said and done, this is a prize fight.

“But to make sure of that, to have the will to win again, I knew I had to put my heart back in the ring as well as my mind.”

Appearing with his latest guru, last year’s American coach Derrick James is the third in almost as long as Britain has had as many prime ministers, in tow.

James credits Joshua with ‘the boxing smarts’ to learn and adapt quickly.

Yet they have devoted every minute of their day in Dallas to the recovery mission at hand. Says Joshua: ‘I haven’t been to the mall in Texas. Not for a coffee. Not to the movies. It has only been spar, training, eating, talking and sleeping boxing. I haven’t seen a bit of the city.

He makes the flight back to the US on Saturday, thinking: ‘This is the way it still has to be if I want to win titles again.’

That and some changes in his behavior in the ring. He says of 02: ‘That has been my lion’s den, the jungle where I was roared to so many victories. I was all about power, punching, aggression.

“Now I’ve learned that as you get older and you want to establish your legacy through longevity, you have to try to hit and not get hit.”

The second step in the return to glory is expected to be a second war with Whyte, perhaps at Wembley or at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this summer.

Assuming, of course, that he says goodbye to the also smaller Franklin. Still, he denies there was psychological stress coming his way on April 1, saying, “Stress is not being able to pay the family’s household bills.” The stress is being buried under that earthquake in Turkey and Syria. Not in doing that circular walk.

AJ is still charming, as courteous as ever, apparently still relaxed. Although there seems to be a change of body. Leaner, less muscle.

But there are still a couple of months left before we see, on return night, the real Anthony Joshua. Either the AJ we know or a new reality in the form of a ship.

Joshua v Franklin will be televised live on DAZN, by subscription, on Saturday, April 1.