Jermaine Franklin Contending with Promoter Lawsuit Heading into Joshua Fight
Heavyweight Jermain “989 Assassin” Franklin (21-1, 14 KOs) may have distractions to contend with during the last stages of preparation for his April 1 fight against two-time heavyweight champion Anthony “AJ” Joshua (24-2, 22 KOs). 3kingsboxing.com has learned that Franklin has filed a lawsuit against Salita Promotions.
The case was filed in the Michigan Eastern District Court on March 24. According to the UK news source The Daily Mail, Team Franklin is at odds with Salita over the percentage amount that the promotional outlet is permitted ‘when they’re not acting as a promoter, co-promoter or involved in a purse bid.’ Feeling that Salita Promotions’ sole responsibility is to give the heavyweight permission to fight, Franklin feels that Salita is taking advantage of him.
THE ABILITY TO COMPARTMENTLIZE
How will this affect Franklin ahead of his upcoming fight with Joshua? He was relatively unknown before getting the opportunity to face Dillian Whyte in November 2022. Though 989 Assassin lost by majority decision, he was highly competitive. The are some observers who felt that he did enough to earn the victory.
Franklin’s performance against Whyte earned him the opportunity to face Joshua. Considered the underdog by most pundits, 989 Assassin is confident of victory. The 30-year-old has even gone so far as to question the intangibles of the two-time unified champion.
The ability to block out the outside noise is a testament to a fighter’s mental strength. That is the current task for Franklin as he is days away from the biggest fight of his career.
