As fans know, Dillian Whyte is set to return to action in November, this in his first fight back after being KO’d by Tyson Fury in a failed WBC title challenge back in April. There have been a number of names mentioned as far as who his opponent might be (with Daniel Dubois being one of these names), but now, according to NoSmokeBoxing, Whyte will square off with Jermain Franklin, this on November 26 in Manchester. Franklin confirmed this when speaking with NSB.
28 year old Franklin of Saginaw, who is unbeaten at 21-0(14) was to have fought Whyte some months back, and Franklin was ready to come in and make a statement; with him vowing to “put Whyte to sleep.” The fight fell through but now it seems Franklin, who calls himself “989 Assassin,” will get his chance at 34 year old Whyte, 28-3(19).
For a while, some fans felt Franklin was one of the best kept secrets of the heavyweight division, with the 6’2” Franklin scoring some impressive wins. But then Franklin struggled to defeat Jerry Forrest in July of 2019, the split decision win he picked up being a debatable one. Since then, Franklin has boxed just twice, decisioning Pavel Sour in October of 2019, and then stopping Rodney Moore in May of this year. Franklin’s profile has taken a hit as a result of his inactivity.
Still, this could be a good fight, an interesting fight. How much did that KO loss to Fury affect Whyte, mentally more so than physically? How solid is Whyte’s chin these days? How good in Franklin, and how will it affect him fighting outside of the U.S for the first time as a pro?
Whyte will no doubt enter the ring as a significant favourite, simply due to the fact that way more people know who he is, this and the fact that he will be boxing at home in the UK. But Franklin has nothing to lose (other than an unbeaten record) and he may well surprise everyone. Whyte most of all.
