Jermaine Franklin admits he’s still a work in progress after close call with Jerry Forrest
The internet had a mini-conniption Friday night, or, at least, a good portion of boxing Twitter did.
“They” thought that Jerry Forrest deserved the nod over Jermaine Franklin in Tacoma on ShoBox. Instead, Franklin won a split decision, with two judges scoring it 97-93 for Franklin and the third having it 96-95 for Forrest.
Now, no surprise, Franklin’s promoter, Dmitriy Salita, told me he thought his kid, from Michigan, was in a close fight and deserved the W.
I reached out to the heavyweight Franklin on Sunday, giving him a chance to ponder.
What grade did he give himself for Friday on the Salita show co-promoted with Brian Halquist?
“I give myself a C+/B-. I won won the fight 7-3 or even 6-4,” the 25-year-old, who went to 19-0 (13 knockouts) told me.
So, you thought you won … or can you see how Forrest deserved it?
“Forrest didn’t win. I landed more power punches and body punches. I kept my hands active throughout the fight. I see how people can make a case for him if they watch a fight based on what announcers are telling them what to see. He didn’t win the fight.”
Smartly, the fighter realizes that he is still that work in progress …
“I have some work to do. I have to focus more on staying inside the game plan I work on in camp. I have to be more patience. I’m 25 years old and I have a lot to learn but I’m ready to take that next step. I have to mentally prepare for it now.”
As for Forrest (25-3, 19 KOs), he didn’t seem crushed. Check out his post-fight post:
Strange game, this boxing. Sometimes, you CAN win for losing.
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