Jermaine Franklin’s quest to become a heavyweight contender will continue July 12.
BS.com hast learned that Franklin will face Jerry Forrest in a 10-round fight that night in Tacoma, Washington. The Franklin-Forrest fight will headline a “ShoBox: The New Generation” telecast on Showtime from the Emerald Queen Casino.
In the co-featured fight, another rising heavyweight, Otto Wallin, will encounter veteran B.J. Flores in a 10-round bout.
This show will mark the second time in three months that Franklin (18-0, 13 KOs) and Wallin (20-0, 13 KOs, 1 NC) will compete on the same Showtime card. On April 13, Franklin, of Saginaw, Michigan, and Sweden’s Wallin, both represented by Salita Promotions, boxed on the Claressa Shields-Christina Hammer undercard from Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
In the bout before Shields beat Hammer in their women’s middleweight title unification fight, Franklin defeated Rydell Booker by unanimous decision in a 10-rounder. Detroit’s Booker (25-2, 12 KOs) provided some difficulty early in that bout, but the 25-year-old Franklin overcame a slow start and beat his 38-year-old opponent by big margins on all three scorecards (99-91, 98-92, 98-92).
The 31-year-old Forrest (25-2, 19 KOs), of Newport News, Virginia, has suffered his two defeats to contender Michael Hunter (17-1, 12 KOs) and former championship challenger Gerald Washington (19-3-1, 12 KOs).
Last edited by Ruthless-RKO on 02 Jul 2019, 11:51, edited 1 time in total.
i was really disappointed when i saw franklin, from his record it looked like he was building a decentish prospect resume for a young guy and might have promise, but when i saw him he was mediocre. rydel booker was easily still more skilled a boxer despite being old and from prison, but just didnt have the energy
not sure franks really even beyond struggling with a guy like jerr
Franklin vs. Forrest, Wallin vs. Flores - ShoBox Double is Official
Two top undefeated heavyweight prospects will put their unblemished records on the line when they fight in separate bouts on ShoBox: The New Generation Friday, July 12 live on SHOWTIME from Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma, Wash.
Top American heavyweight prospect Jermaine Franklin returns for his second consecutive test of 2018 on ShoBox against the streaking Jerry Forrest in the 10-round headliner. In the co-featured bout, undefeated Swedish heavyweight and top-10 ranked contender Otto Wallin will battle former world title challenger BJ Flores in a 10-round clash on the seventh ShoBox telecast of 2019.
“The heavyweight division is the strongest it’s been in a generation with a number of new faces looking to position themselves for an eventual title shot,” said Gordon Hall, Executive Producer of ShoBox. “Otto Wallin is on the doorstep based on his rankings in the top 10 but he needs that statement win to get there. BJ Flores is not coming to test Wallin. He is coming to win and feels he has what it takes to teach Wallin a lesson.
“Jermaine Franklin is the best American heavyweight prospect and, at only 25 years old, still has a ton of growth potential. He passed his first test on ShoBox in April and we look forward to getting a second look at him in another step-up fight. Forrest is far more experienced than Franklin. This will be his fifth fight of 2019, and he is fully aware of what a win will do for his career.”
Tickets for the event, which is promoted by Salita Promotions in association with Brian Halquist Productions, go on sale Saturday, June 1 and are available via Ticketmaster and the Emerald Queen Box Office.
“This is an exciting time for the heavyweight division and on July 12 boxing fans will have an opportunity to witness two of the division's best new faces in significant tests,” said promoter Dmitriy Salita. “Jermaine Franklin’s goal is to be an American heavyweight world champion, and an impressive performance in a tough matchup with Jerry Forrest will be a significant step in his quest to the title.
“Otto Wallin is an example of what happens when you combine dreams and hard work. He grew up in a small town in Sweden and aims to challenge for the heavyweight world title and follow in the footsteps of Ingemar Johansson. Otto is fighting a proven veteran in BJ Flores who’s only losses have been in world title fights, so I expect it will be an exciting matchup from the opening bell.”
The 25-year-old Franklin (18-0, 13 KOs), from Saginaw, Mich., is a former amateur standout and a 2014 National Golden Gloves Champion. A likely candidate to represent the U.S. at the 2016 Olympic Games, Franklin turned down the opportunity to compete for a spot on the team and instead chose to begin his professional career in 2015. Widely regarded as the top American heavyweight prospect, Franklin has built his undefeated record with relative ease since turning pro, knocking out nine of his first 10 professional opponents.
Franklin made his SHOWTIME debut in the co-featured bout of the Claressa Shields vs. Christina Hammer event in April, earning a unanimous decision over former No. 1-ranked U.S. amateur Rydell Booker.
“In my SHOWTIME debut earlier this year, I felt I could have put on a better show but I won and that’s most important,” Franklin said. “Winning this fight is an important step toward my dreams of fighting for a heavyweight championship. This fight also is a chance for the fans to see me more focused and prepared. Jerry Forrest has been around the game for a while and he brings a lot of skills to the ring. I will be ready for him.”
Forrest (25-2, 19 KOs), of Newport News, Va., has won eighteen consecutive bouts since dropping back-to-back contests to world title challenger Gerald Washington and Michael Hunter, whose only professional loss came to former undisputed cruiserweight champion Oleksandr Usyk. Forrest, a 6-foot-1 southpaw, scored an eight-round unanimous decision over Joshua Tufte his last time out in April.
“This is a long time coming for me,” said Forrest. “My record and my potential are definitely worthy to fight in the main event on national television. This is where I should be. I’m very comfortable and I’m not at all overwhelmed. I’ve fought in the Nationals and big tournaments and I’m not afraid of the spotlight. Franklin throws a lot of punches and tries to bully you out. He’s not super accurate from what I see. He’s a heavyweight who will try to outwork you. I see him as a very similar fighter to Andy Ruiz. My training is going great, I haven’t been out of shape in two years. I’ve been in the gym grinding and doing it old school.”
Wallin (20-0, 13 KOs, 1 ND) made his U.S. debut on SHOWTIME in April, also on the undercard of Shields-Hammer, but his fight with Nick Kisner was cut short after an accidental headbutt left Kisner unable to continue, resulting in a No Decision. The 6-foot-5 Wallin turned pro in 2013 and has gradually risen in the rankings by recording 20 straight wins in Europe prior to his American debut. The 28-year-old southpaw won the Swedish Boxing Championship at 16-years-old, fought against Anthony Joshua twice as an amateur and was a member of the Swedish National Boxing Team. Currently ranked in the top-ten by both the WBA and IBF, Wallin now has his sights set on becoming his country’s first Heavyweight Champion since Ingemar Johansson in 1960.
“My U.S. debut did not go the way I had hoped and I didn’t get a chance to show off my skills,” said Wallin. “I’m really looking forward to going out there again getting a chance to show a lot more. This is a fight I need to win if I want to go somewhere. I need to win and I need to look good doing it. I need to be sharp at all times and not take anything for granted. This is a sport where everything can change in the blink of an eye.”
Flores (34-4-1, 21 KOs) turned pro in 2003 and has enjoyed a long, successful career competing mostly as a cruiserweight. Undefeated through the first seven years and 25 fights of his career, Flores suffered his first setback when he traveled to Australia to challenge Danny Green for his IBO Cruiserweight world title, dropping a unanimous decision. The Arizona native bounced back by winning eight of his next nine fights before getting a second chance at a world title, again traveling to his opponent’s hometown. This time, Flores was stopped by WBC Cruiserweight champion Tony Bellew in Liverpool. Flores has since moved to heavyweight, where he has won two of his three fights.
“Not only is this a winnable fight for me, I am 100 percent winning this,” said Flores. “I’m working with [trainers] Angel Heredia and Ibn Cason and world class heavyweight Kubrat Pulev. Working with this team is perfect for getting my strength and conditioning up for this fight, and sparring with one of the top guys in the world in Pulev is making me very sharp. I know Wallin is undefeated and has a good amateur style. He’s tall and has good boxing ability. I know he’s got some talent and is a young up and coming guy. He’ll be trying to make a name for himself off of my name, so I’ll be ready for that.”
"Slug" shouldn't be expected to give Franklin any trouble. Flores has got a better chance of upsetting Wallin not that I think that is very likely either.
Forrest has improved... he has some nasty hands and early KO pop... particularly with uppercuts and hooks on the inside... he is a very gifted HW athletically... wouldn't rule him out.
Both Jermaine Franklin and Jerry “Slugger” Forrest are predicting knockouts when the two heavyweights face off in the main event of ShoBox: The New Generation on Friday, July 12.
Franklin (18-0, 13 KOs) from Saginaw, Mich., and Forrest (25-2, 19 KOs), of Newport News, Va., will meet in the 10-round main event live on SHOWTIME (10 p.m. ET/PT) from Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma, Wash. Battle at the Boat 122 is presented by Salita Promotions and Brian Halquist Productions.
In the co-featured bout, undefeated Swedish heavyweight and top-10 ranked contender Otto Wallin (20-0, 13 KOs) will battle former world title challenger BJ Flores (34-4-1, 21 KOs) in a 10-round clash. The opening bout of the tripleheader telecast will feature a matchup of undefeated featherweight prospects as Giovanni Mioletti (16-0, 7 KOs) faces off with Luis Porozo (14-0, 7 KOs).
The 25-year-old Franklin, a 2014 National Golden Gloves Champion and widely regarded as the top American heavyweight prospect, says he’ll be a different fighter against Forrest than the one who made his ShoBox debut with a unanimous decision over former No. 1-ranked U.S. amateur Rydell Booker last April.
“I learned to have more self-control and patience in that fight,” said Franklin. “Boxing is a tough sport and I think as a boxer, sometimes we try too hard to go for the knockout. I learned to stay patient, be calm, fight my fight and not rush things.”
Against Forrest, Franklin will be facing a more aggressive and less mobile style, which may be more suited to him than Booker’s elusive counterpunching.
“I’ve seen some tape on Forrest and I know he’s left-handed and throws a lot of looping punches,” Franklin said. “He’ll be right in front for me to hit. He seems very flat-footed, so I’ll use angles against him. But I feel like I don’t need a certain opponent to look good against. I took myself out of my last fight. I didn’t show what I can do. I’ll be more focused this time. I’ve developed to another stage since then.”
Franklin says it’s slowly sinking in that he’s graduated to a main event fighter.
“It just hit me two or three days ago that I’m headlining my own card on SHOWTIME,” said Franklin. “For a while it seemed unreal, but I don’t want to get too excited, so I’m trying to stay level-headed right now. I’ve been doing a lot of weight training and resistance training and pushing past the limit. I do a full workout in the gym and then workout on something else for another hour. I’m pushing past the limits of being tired to regain that second wind faster. I’m learning how to work hard without emptying my gas tank.”
According to Franklin, if he uses all his tools the way he’s supposed to, he’ll walk away with another knockout on his record.
“I picture a knockout or TKO,” Franklin said. “I’m not going to rush anything. I’m just going to fight my fight, but I feel I can get the KO if I stay calm. It’ll come. It’s inevitable.
The 31-year-old Forrest has won 18 consecutive fights and says this fight will show the world what he already knows: that he’s a world-class heavyweight who was waiting for his big break.
“Honestly, it’s kind of like the first chance for people to see what I’ve already been doing for years,” Forrest said. “The only difference is the cameras. It’ll still be my fight. Just the world gets to see it. I can’t wait to show on a national scale what I was capable of.”
Surprisingly, Forrest says his ring name of “Slugger” has nothing to do with boxing.
“Slugger is not really a nickname,” Forrest said. “My entire family calls me slugger because I almost passed away when I was born. My mom had blood poisoning and had to have transfusions. They told my parents to go ahead and get a casket prepared for me. My mom told me ‘you got to fight, slugger.’ Shortly after that, I opened my eyes for the first time.”
Forrest says he and trainer Anthony Chase are putting in good work but haven’t done anything different in the gym for this big test.
“I’ve already had four fights this year,” Forrest continued. “I’m in fantastic shape and training is going well. I do two or three workouts a day. I’m working on my recovery time a bit more, but I haven’t changed the way I do things. I don’t change the process if it works. I just do more.”
Power and experience are the reasons why Forrest predicts he’ll stop Franklin.
“I’m going to outbox him until I stop him,” said Forrest. “He can’t outbox me. I don’t think he has the skills, power, stamina, accuracy or boxing IQ to stand with me. It’s not a real planned style of his. I don’t think he thinks much in the ring. If you’re in better shape as a heavyweight, you will win the fight. I’m sure he’s training a bit harder, but he didn’t take his last fight seriously and he got hit with a lot of flush shots.
“I’m a power puncher. I have 19 KOs and a lot of them are in the early rounds. I’m good at seeing punches and being able to avoid them. I’m also very adaptive in the ring and even though he’s taller, his reach is shorter than mine. A lot of guys get thrown up really fast and they’re not ready for it. This is one of those cases. I will stop him.”
Barry Tompkins will call the action from ringside with boxing historian Steve Farhood and former world champion Raul Marquez serving as expert analysts. The executive producer is Gordon Hall with Richard Gaughan producing and Rick Phillips directing.
candyslim wrote: ↑04 Jul 2019, 03:44
Not saying you're wrong Oogie but that does seem a bit harsh at this stage. At least give him a chance to fail, eh?
I watched a few of his, mainly as an amateur. My biggest concern was his lack of height but that was before Ruiz blitzed AJ
Actually not so much that he is comparatively short. but that he appeared to lack the style and attributes required for a shorter fighter to be effective. I'll keep an open mind though.
Jermaine Franklin has given himself two years to become World Heavyweight Champion.
He showcases his talents on allegedly when he faces Jerry Forrest in a non-title 10 rounder on Friday (July 12th) when we might see if he is a contender or pretender.
By the time Franklin is nearing the pinnacle of the division it’s likely that top dogs like lineal King Tyson Fury, IBF, WBA and WBO champion Andy Ruiz, WBC title holder Deontay Wilder and Anthony Joshua may be looking at the finishing post or even retired.
Unbeaten Franklin, 25, said: “My overall goal is to become World Heavyweight Champion and I expect that to happen in the next two years.
“I’m pushing hard, working hard, training hard and I think I am the best upcoming heavyweight in the nation. I don’t think anybody can touch me or stop me from getting to my goal.”
His promoter Dmitriy Salita said: “Jermaine is the best American prospect. With the next win, he’s going to become a contender.
“It’s hard to be big and athletic. He’s very big, and he has very fast hands. His hands are very busy. He’s the perfect size, and he’s going to get stronger and more muscular. Jermaine’s only 25. The perfect Heavyweight is 28, 29 years old.”
Franklin is 18-0 with 13 KOs, and despite his lofty aspirations the man from Saginaw, Michigan knows he faces a long road towards beating the best.
He made his allegedly debut in April when he outpointed Rydell Booker, but it was far from his most impressive performance.
He told MLive: “I have got to learn to stay calm because I was a little overanxious and made mistakes I shouldn’t have made.
“I’m a huge critic of me personally. I can fight way better than that. Everybody says I had a good fight, but I know I didn’t. I learned that I have to be patient and stop rushing myself, to look for opportunities and not force opportunities.
“Saginaw is a small community. You either have to work hard for what you want or be lazy. We all learn hard work at a young age. We learn to persevere.
“I don’t care if I’m fighting a World Champion. Mistakes are still mistakes. They’re already corrected.
“But I had a good camp. I’m in real good shape. I’m super fast. I haven’t been this fast in a long time. I’m in a peaceful place, where I can focus on what I’m doing.
“I’m going to show the world - this is not the same guy from the last fight.”
Jerry Forrest exposed Jermaine Franklin’s flaws Friday night.
Franklin still escaped with a suspect split-decision victory over Forrest, a patient, skilled southpaw who was more accurate and better defensively throughout their 10-round heavyweight fight in Tacoma, Washington. Despite Forrest’s performance, judges Alan Krebs and Tim Wood somehow scored seven rounds for Franklin, who won 97-93 on their cards.
The third judge, Hunter Walton, scored their fight for Forrest, 96-95, at Emerald Queen Casino.
The 25-year-old Franklin, of Saginaw, Michigan, remains undefeated (19-0, 13 KOs). But he definitely didn’t distinguish himself as America’s top heavyweight prospect, as he and his promoter, Dmitriy Salita, have claimed.
According to Showtime’s unofficial punch stats, Forrest landed 14 more overall punches (121-of-382 to 107-of-466). Showtime credited Franklin for landing more power shots (94-of-260 to 76-of-216), but counted more jabs for Forrest (45-of-166 to 13-of-206).
Before falling to Franklin, Forrest (25-3, 19 KOs), of Newport News, Virginia, hadn’t lost in five years.
Former contender Gerald Washington knocked out Forrest in the second round of their August 2013 bout. Contender Michael Hunter (17-1, 12 KOs) defeated Forrest by unanimous decision in his Forrest’s following fight, an eight-rounder, but he had won 18 consecutive bouts before facing Franklin.
Their fight appeared at the very least close heading into the final round Friday night.
Sensing he needed a knockout, Franklin tried to land fight-altering punches during that 10th round. Forrest deftly avoided those shots, though, until they spent the final few seconds winging wild shots at one another.
Franklin landed a good right hand with about 1:45 left in the ninth round. Forrest clipped Franklin with a counter left several seconds later.
A right hook by Forrest caught Franklin with just over a minute remaining in the eighth round. Forrest followed up with two lefts to the side of Franklin’s head as Franklin attempted to hold him.
Forrest connected with a solid left hand with just under 30 seconds to go in the seventh round.
Forrest continued to make Franklin miss with an array of punches throughout the sixth round. When Franklin held his right arm near the 30-second mark of the sixth, Forrest landed three left hands to the side of Franklin’s head.
Franklin trapped Forrest against the ropes in the final minute of the fifth round. He couldn’t capitalize, though, as he missed wildly with a right hand and allowed Forrest to move the action back to the center of the ring.
A straight left hand by Forrest connected with just under 1:40 to go in the fourth round. Forrest snuck in a left uppercut later in the fourth, right after Franklin spun him around, into the ropes, and threw a right hand.
The action slowed during the third round, compared to the exchanges in the first and second rounds. A straight right hand by Franklin landed flush with just over a minute to go in the second round.
Franklin initiated what became an entertaining exchange early in the first round. Franklin and Forrest landed hard shots as they fired away at close range, but Forrest’s left uppercut and two lefts to the side of Franklin’s head were the most noticeable blows.
Franklin lost his mouthpiece during that 30-second sequence, which caused a brief break in the action.
armageto wrote: ↑13 Jul 2019, 13:12
I don't know why some people considered Franklin the best American HW prospect. I think a lot of guys have more potential:
Darmani Rock
Sonny Conto
Trey Morrison and Amron Sands are projects, but at least they both seem to have power and Sands is a big guy.
I think that moniker was invented by Franklin and his handlers. He's crap. So is Rock. So is Bryan. So is Conto. Conto would be better served moving down to CW. Sands is terrible. Morrison and his brother are content being local heroes.
