AJ’s Fury: Nigerians root for a great Anthony Joshua comeback

[FILES] Anthony Joshua reflected on his heavyweight defeat to Oleksandr Usyk, who claimed the IBF, WBA and WBO titles in London

I drove past Sagamu, the ancestral home of the global boxing sensation, Anthony Joshua, last night.

Honking my way through the rowdy and bustling traffic cum roadside market formation that defines the expressway intersection to this ancient town reminded me again of the epochal heavyweight boxing match between UK-based Anthony Joshua and American heavyweight fighter, Jermaine Franklin, slated for midnight later today.

Forget the lingering sullenness of his teeming UK fans which is reported to have somewhat depressed ticket sales for this non-title fight, Anthony Joshua’s duel with America’s rising sensation, Jermaine Franklin, tonight at the O2 Arena, in London, is indeed a significant fight of historic proportions.

Millions in the UK and indeed around the world are rooting with bated breath for the Watford-born boxing icon to unleash his newly rediscovered mojo on the American heavyweight.

That global family of AJ devotees certainly includes millions of Nigerians who, thanks to spirited efforts on the part of the two-time Unified Heavyweight Champion of the World to identify and integrate with his Naija roots, have deep longings to see their megastar compatriot dominate world boxing once again.

As I left the receding lights of Sagamu behind me, it occurred to me that the entire city, from His Royal Highness, the Akarigbo, to thousands upon thousands of Sagamu youth, would be literally in AJ’s corner tonight as new trainer, the globally acclaimed Derrick James, seeks to navigate a decisive win for his mega celebrity ward.

Indeed, this April fool’s day slugfest is historic. The least because,