Anthony Joshua FUMES with Jermaine Franklin and delivers X-rated rant at end of first round on way to points victory
ANTHONY JOSHUA delivered an X-rated blast at Jermaine Franklin after the first round of his patchy comeback victory on points.
AJ triumphed at the 02 following two defeats but was never at his best - and it even KICKED OFF AGAIN after the final bell.
And he was certainly pumped up for it as things threatened to boil over after the opening round.
His American rival was spotted sticking his tongue out at Joshua during the early stages of the bout.
Then once the bell had gone AJ initially refused to sit in his corner as he stood eyeballing his opponent.
Then, still looking fuming, he stood eyeballing before he shouted: “F*** off.”
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Joshua eventually ground out a victory by a unanimous decision, the judges backing him 118-111, 117-111, 117-111.
And at the end Joshua tapped the back of Franklin head, seemingly joking - only to spark a heated reaction.
Franklin reacted, leading to the pair squaring up.
The corners then got involved, including pushing and shoving, before the situation was calmed down.
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It was a huge contrast to how the evening started for Franklin.
Many fans were left stunned earlier tonight when Franklin was spotted arriving at The O2 on the London underground.
Most fighters headlining the North Greenwich dome normally get a five-star ride to the hallowed arena.
But not Franklin, who opted to hop on the Jubilee line with fight fans for the biggest bout of his career.