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Anthony Joshua returned to winning ways with a unanimous points victory over Jermaine Franklin at London’s O2 Arena.

The British heavyweight, 33, controlled the contest against the durable American but it was not the explosive early finish many expected.

Two judges scored it 117-111 and one 118-111 to Joshua.

Tempers flared after the final bell as the two fighters squared up to each other, prompting their teams to enter the ring and be separated by security.

It is Joshua’s first win in more than two years, having lost consecutive bouts to Oleksandr Usyk.

“It was important to win. Jermaine has a good duck-and-dive style, somebody else from Britain will probably knock him out,” Joshua said.

“I respect him, he did well. I should have knocked him out but it is done. On to the next. He is here to prove himself, not roll over. I wish I could have knocked him out.”

Joshua has now won 25 fights, with 22 stoppages, and lost three since turning professional in 2013.

It is a second defeat for Franklin, 29, having lost to Briton Dillian Whyte in November.

Joshua returned to the O2 Arena – once a fortress for the Watford fighter – after seven years. His seven previous fights at the venue ended inside the distance, but this was not vintage Joshua.

A boisterous sellout crowd, including popstar Liam Payne and journalist Louis Theroux, were in attendance, eager to see whether Joshua – still one of the biggest names in British boxing – remained a force in the division.

Away fighter Franklin – who earlier travelled on the London underground to the arena due to traffic – entered the ring first to huge jeers. Joshua followed, marching to the ring with a look of determination.

A solid opening round saw Joshua take the centre of the ring and effectively double up on the jab to pierce Franklin’s guard, with quick feet to stay out of range of any advances.

A thudding straight right got Franklin’s attention at the start of the second, the London crowd gasped but Franklin stuck his tongue out.

The American drew blood from Joshua’s nose, who answered with a right to the body and then another stinging blow to the temple.

The Michigan fighter – who shed 23lbs since losing to Whyte – came out strong in the third. Letting his hands go with Joshua back-peddling. Franklin started to land jabs of his own, growing in confidence and showing he was not there to make up the numbers.

Franklin began to target Joshua’s body more in the fourth, but the British boxer responded with a brutal right and then landed a telegraphed uppercut from range.

Joshua landed the cleaner shots as both men found success in the fifth before landing a trademark uppercut in the sixth that Franklin took well on the chin.

Boxing fans and pundits felt Joshua needed to win in style against a fringe world-level contender. Even ‘AJ’ himself said he needed to make a statement, but it was starting to look as if that would not be the case.

Franklin began to tire into the second half of the fight, Joshua landing a sharp hook on the inside. The two men stood their ground and exchanged glares after the bell in the seventh.

Other than a Joshua right which rocked Franklin’s head back, the eighth was a scrappy round with both men holding. An overhand right from a crouched down Franklin landed flush on Joshua in the ninth.

Joshua enjoyed more success in the 10th, stunning Franklin with a terrific uppercut. He grinned and, perhaps for the first time in the fight, the former unified heavyweight champion was reminiscent of his old self.

A complacent Joshua was reminded of the danger Franklin poses, taking a couple of clean shots, but out-jabbed his opponent in the 11th but an uppercut hurt the American in the final minute of the contest before he tied Joshua up, much to the dismay of the crowd, to see out the distance.

(BBC)