Anthony Joshua says he will retire from boxing if he loses in opposition to Jermaine Franklin on Saturday on the O2 Arena.
The two-time world champion is making his return to the ring this weekend to face the American heavyweight after successive defeats to Oleksandr Usyk.
Joshua will be wanting to win his first skilled battle since December 2020 however has admitted he will step away from boxing if he loses a 3rd successive bout.
“I will. I will retire if I lose. I’m not here to battle people. If people want me to retire I will retire,” he instructed MailOnline.
“I’m not going to battle if folks don’t desire me too. It’s not even in regards to the cash. It’s in regards to the competitor in you. That’s what’s vital.
“It [pressure] comes with the enterprise and it comes with the territory, I do know that.
“I do know when I’m retired, I’m gonna be chilling. I’m gonna be pondering f**okay everybody. I’m executed.
“You lot put so much pressure on me so when I am done, the chains are going to be gone. I am going to be laughing and loving life.”
Nelson expects Joshua to ‘get it executed’
Former WBO cruiserweight champion Johnny Nelson expects Joshua to beat Franklin however thinks the 33-year-old ought to retire if he loses.
“I’d expect Anthony Joshua to get it done. But Jermaine Franklin is 29 years old, (has had) 22 fights, won 21, stopped 14 of his opponents and in his last fight against Dillian Whyte people say he should have won. But that’s questionable,” he stated.
“My big question is this: Anthony Joshua, after losing two fights on the bounce, has had to relook at his confidence to think ‘who am I, do I belong here, do I want this?’
“For Anthony Joshua that is every thing. Because he’s had to undergo a little bit of turmoil, mentally, emotionally and are available to phrases with the truth that he’s not the most effective fighter, formally, on the earth.
“He’s got to get in the queue again like everybody else. If Anthony Joshua loses, he jacks it in. If he doesn’t jack it, he should jack it. Because it’s a hard mountain to climb.
“Especially once you’ve had the success and the heights that he’s had. So he cannot afford to lose. That’s a should. Then from that, it is confidence constructing.”
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