Jermaine Franklin got into boxing to stop getting into trouble, developed his skills by watching Lennox Lewis, took two years out of the ring due to bankruptcy and is now facing Dillian Whyte at Wembley Arena
Who is Jermaine Franklin? That is the question that has been circling the internet ever since Dillian Whyte's return to the ring was announced on Friday afternoon. Many boxing fans have been scratching their heads as to why the Body Snatcher has agreed terms with the American.
However, Franklin's professional record currently stands at 21 wins, 0 loses and 0 draws - making the 29-year-old undefeated in his division. Additionally, Franklin has knocked out 14 of his 21 opponents.
As a result, Franklin is ranked 13th by the WBO in the Heavyweight division - putting him just six places behind Anthony Joshua who, in the eyes of the British public, is a boxing icon.
So, with that in mind, Sportsmail sat down with Franklin to discuss how he got into boxing, his passion for the sport, the hardships he has had to overcome and the way in which his bout with Whyte could change his life.
Franklin didn't stumble upon boxing by chance. He was introduced to the sport to prevent him from getting into trouble as a youngster. He, like many others, used boxing as an escape from the temptations and dangers that are synonymous with teenage years.
The American heavyweight is adamant he wasn't a 'bad kid' but said boxing was the driving force behind the positive changes he made to his life. He credited the sport with teaching him respect and patience.
Speaking exclusively to Sportsmail, Franklin said: 'I started the sport when I was around 12-13. I was getting in a little bit of trouble. I wasn't a bad kid but I was getting in a little bit of trouble.
'I got taken up to the boxing gym and it started from there. I had a love/hate relationship with the sport. I was a big kid and I didn't get a lot of fights as an amateur. I was thinking what am I doing this for. All I was doing was working out and never fighting.
'So, yeah I had a love/hate relationship for a while. I probably fell in love with the sport before I went to nationals. My first nationals was when I was 17-18. That was when I really found my true love for the sport.'
It's safe to say that boxing teaches young men how to be disciplined, dedicated and respectful. However, Franklin is adamant the main thing boxing has taught him is patience.
He said: 'I was very impatient. Younger me was very impatient. It [boxing] forced you to be patient. You didn't have a choice. We would go to the shows and we would try and match up fights before them but people wouldn't come. For a while I didn't appreciate it. It was like, all this work for no reward.'
However, Franklin continued to pursue a boxing career and made his professional debut in April 2015. He fought against Deshawn Jenkins in Green Bay, Wisconsin at the Riverside Ballroom.
Franklin dropped Jenkins twice. The first knockdown came from an impressive left hook while the second knockdown came from a left-right combination in which Jenkins was counted out.
Franklin has continued to thrive in the heavyweight division. His record currently stands at 21 wins, 0 loses and 0 draws. Plus, he has won 14 of those fights via knockout.
Franklin picked up a ten round decision win over Pavel Sour in October 2019 before taking over two years out of the ring, while Whyte was in action earlier this year when he faced Fury.
Franklin competed in a tune-up fight in May this year but prior to that the 29-year-old admitted he was struggling to get to the gym and work on his technique because of personal issues.
Franklin revealed he had to file for bankruptcy, take up a full-time job and look after his two daughters during his hiatus from boxing. When asked how he ended up in that position, Franklin said it was due to his former management team.
He told Sportsmail: 'I was having issues. I had to support my family and I wasn't really making money from boxing. I had to work to be able to support my family and then I had problems with my old manager.
'I had to file bankruptcy to get my assets back in order. My old manager got me in trouble with all kinds of stuff. He really didn't have my best interests at heart. There was a lot going on during those two years of me being out of the ring.
'I was trying to but my work schedule was hard. It was really hard to fit it in. I had to get up and take my girls to school. It would be hard to go train, pick my girls up and then go right back to work after. I tried to. Every now and then I would pop up in the gym but it was really hard to do is consistently as my body was tired.'
Many people associate boxing with glitz and glamour - which comes as no surprise considering the likes of Floyd Mayweather has been seen posing alongside piles of cash on his Instagram and Andy Ruiz Jr was pictured throwing an extravagant 30th birthday party with naked sushi girls.
But, the truth is, it's not all fun and games for the majority of boxers. A lot of the athletes that get involved in the sport have had a hard life. They have struggled to make ends meet and have worked their way up the ranks before getting their big break.
November's fight with Whyte is Franklin's big break. He said the fight against Whyte will be 'life changing' and admitted it could finally prove why he should be 'up there with the top boxers in the division'.
He said: 'It's most definitely life changing. It's a life changing experience and it's a great opportunity. Hopefully it puts me up there with the top boxers. I already feel like I am up there but I have to show the world that I am up there.'
When asked about the misconception surrounding money in boxing. Franklin said: 'A lot of people don't understand that those numbers are projected.
'We don't really get the whole thing. We have to pay people. We have to pay taxes. We have to pay trainers. We have to pay training fees.
'Even if you see a fight and it says this person made $1.5million there is $300,000 tax on $1m dollars so you're not taking it all home. It looks good on paper and you do make some money, don't get me wrong, but you don't bring that much money home.'
Franklin's personal experience - overcoming bankruptcy and breaking free from a toxic partnership with his former manager - has motivated him to help the next generation of boxers.
Normally when you ask a boxer to share their goals and ambitions for the future, they speak about records, belts and money. But, not Franklin. Of course he wants to thrive in the heavyweight division but he is committed to changing the sport for the better.
He said: 'I want to keep fighting the best. I want to start my own company and help other boxers. So, they can avoid the dirty side of boxing.
'A lot of fighters don't have any protection. I was in a slave contract with my old manager. I had to do what he said or I get nothing at all.
'Anything I pitched about my career went in one ear and out the other. It was always, do what they said or nothing happens.
'We have no control. We have no say so in our own careers. A lot of time people don't understand paperwork.
'As you know, a lot of boxers weren't well off in the sport. Not everyone was poor or have come from a hard background but a lot of us had never seen contracts before.
'At first, they offer you a little bit of money and you think everything is going to be good but then get to a s**t-show and it's a whole different story.
'I just want to help boxers to be able to have a say in their own careers. To be able to live comfortably. Not to be forced to do certain things.
'I still want fighters to fight the best but I don't want them to feel like they have been put in a situation where they have no say so.'
Franklin's desire to leave the sport in a better place than he found it comes as no surprise. After just second of speaking with the 29-year-old it was clear to see he was a genuinely good person.
His demeanour was self-effacing, gracious, and polite. He would cringe at the thought of 'bigging himself up' and spoke highly about other boxers instead of blowing his own trumpet.
In fact, he couldn't help but heap praise on his heavyweight counterparts. He also referenced several former fighters that have inspired him to become the boxer his is today.
He said: 'Most of my favourite fighters are old fighters. Most of the people I got a lot of my technique from are old fighters. I like Holyfield, Tyson and even your guy's Lennox Lewis. I love Lewis. Lewis was a fantastic boxer.
'As far as the current guys go, I look at Tyson at lot. I like the way Andy Ruiz Jr fights, even though he gets a little bit of flack but I love the way Andy fights. I love when AJ is in the right mindset. He fights great too.
'I studied a lot of those guys to see the stuff they did that is good. I look at what they do to see if that's something I could do and whether I would be able to stop them.'
Franklin also held two other people in very high regard during our interview and they were his daughters. When asked whether his little girls thought he was the 'coolest dad in the world' for headlining a fight in the UK, Franklin couldn't help but laugh.
He said: 'They are pretty excited. They are kind of mad they can't be there. They are pretty excited about watching me fight.
'They have been in the gym since they were young. I have been trying to get them into it but honestly they have just been in the gym playing around and stuff like that.
'Every now and then they might grab some gloves and hit the bag or something like that. They've got time.'
But, what can we expect from Franklin during his heavyweight showdown with Whyte on November 26? Well, the 29-year-old's Representative Dean Caslake of Next Level Collective (NLC) has described Franklin as 'fearless' and said he will 'come forwards and meet Whyte in the centre of the ring.'
He told Sportsmail: 'Jermaine is going to be hungrier than ever for the fight. He will be an unknown bag as his profile doesn't match his ability. In terms of his social profile and stuff like that.
'As you can see, Jermaine is very humble so that side of things isn't overly important. We know that it comes as part of the package. It's not just what they can do in the ring. It's everything outside of the ring as well so we are working on that.
'Other than that, he is a guy that is fearless and he is a hungry fighter. I think it will be a good clash as both guys do tend to come forward. It's not going to be stand off and try and figure each other out for long periods of time with hardly any punches thrown.
'I think it will be a very entertaining fight. I think both guys will be looking to come forwards and meet in the centre of the ring.'
Caslake went on to reveal a little bit more about Franklin's personality and explained what a victory over Whyte could mean for the American heavyweight boxer.
He said: 'Jermaine is intense and focused when it is time for business. This is the stepping stone has has been calling for, for a long time.
'So, the intensity levels for this will be much higher than anything ever before because the scale of the fight ahead of him is obviously career defining. It could open every door to every boxer in the division.'
