Dillian Whyte overtakes Jermaine Franklin, eyeing Anthony Joshua
It’s not convincing, but Dillian Whyte gets the job done.
The longtime heavyweight defeated the relatively unknown, but determined American Jermaine Franklin by majority decision in a competitive match on Saturday at the OVO Arena in London.
Victory could set up a rematch with Anthony Joshua, who is in the ring and is said to have accepted Whyte’s wish to fight him next year.
Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte pay their respects after Whyte’s win over Jermaine Franklin tonight… pic.twitter.com/j743g1GfPX
– Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) November 26, 2022
Whyte (29-3, 19 KOs) has lost two of his previous three fights, including a sixth round knockout to owner Tyson Fury in April.
However, Franklin (21-1, 14 KOs) didn’t have much of a chance against a veteran of so many major events. Then the battle began.
Neither man was able to gain a clear advantage in a grueling back-and-forth fight, although the two judges were clearly convinced that Whyte had overcome his stubborn opponent.
The 35-year-old Londoner won 116-112 – eight rounds to four – on two scorecards. The third judge gave it a score of 115-115.
Some believe the cards in Whyte’s favor are too wide, including Franklin, who thinks he deserves the win.
“I feel like I’ve been robbed, I feel like I’ve done enough to get a decision,” he said, according to The Mirror. “I feel like I won the previous rounds. I just felt like I was robbed in the decision.
However, it was Whyte who raised his hand and took a step towards a bigger fight.
Whyte was stopped by Joshua after seven rounds in 2015, before Joshua became world champion. He wants revenge for that failure. More importantly, a win over Joshua would make him a title contender again.