Anthony Joshua taken the distance but beats Jermaine Franklin on points

Anthony Joshua won his first fight in more than two years with a dominant points victory over a brave and resilient Jermaine Franklin. The gritty American disappointed Joshua’s supporters, who had been hoping for a sensational win by knockout, by lasting the full 12 rounds late on Saturday night.

All three judges scored the fight in Joshua’s favour by accurately decisive margins of 117-111, twice, and 118-111. It was a comfortable victory but, despite Franklin’s innate toughness, Joshua had hoped to win the fight in far more thrilling style. Instead he landed the overwhelming majority of telling blows but could not force a stoppage while Franklin refused to buckle.

It was a decent but mildly underwhelming performance from the former world champion who lacks some of his old fire and conviction. Joshua is no longer a brutal finisher. Perhaps three defeats in his previous five bouts, before he faced Franklin, have left their mark and made him more apprehensive.

Joshua was cautious at the start, taking control behind his jab, but Franklin looked untroubled amid the intense atmosphere. He had won the round but Joshua’s nose began to bleed and needed a little attention from his corner. A long right hand from Joshua had Franklin shaking his head and sticking out his tongue in goading contempt. Joshua landed a more meaningful combination which made Franklin fire back. But the American looked less comfortable when Joshua nailed him with a heavy right hand and then, later in the round, went to the body with thudding blows.

Joshua was winning the rounds clearly, as he did again in the fourth, with his jab dominating. But Franklin was not cowed and at the end of the fourth he backed the former world champion up against the ropes and