After two straight losses against current heavyweight king Oleksandr Usyk, Joshua is at a crossroads in his career.
His move was a seemingly easy fight against American underdog Jermaine Franklin (21-1, 14 KOs) in London on April 1.
In the pre-match press conference, Joshua expressed that what motivates him the most right now is not winning back his WC belts, but the money.
- I like to make money.
We fight for money.
I've been broke and my family has been broke so I know what that means.
I box because I'm good at it, but at the end of the day, no one will care about me.
Therefore, I have to get as much out of it as possible while I can, says the 33-year-old.
"It's not good"
A statement that caused the opponent's promoter Dmitrij Salita to react.
- It's not good when your main motivation for stepping into the ring is money.
It might work when you're poor and trying to break through, but it shouldn't mean much now that he's already earned the big bucks, says Salita.
Joshua is the big favorite in his upcoming match, but when asked how much pressure he feels to win, he answers:
- Pressure is being broke and worrying about the bills.
It's pressure.
Or the earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria, being in that environment is real pressure.
That I get paid to box is just a blessing.
Toppling the giant Joshua would be by far the biggest career victory for the more anonymous Jermaine Franklin.
- It would have been absolutely fantastic for my career.
I have the will and the heart to make it.
I am ready for war and confidence is at its peak, he says.
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The star burst into tears after the victory: "People don't understand..." Photo: AP/TT