By Brad Snyder, The Undercard
Fast-rising heavyweight prospect Jermaine Franklin (16-0, 13 KOs), from Saginaw, MI, will be taking on local favorite Craig Lewis (14-2-1, 8 KOs) in a 10-round rumble tonight headlining Night Of Knockouts XIII at MotorCity Casino Hotel in Detroit. Franklin and his adviser Mike Acri spoke to Fightnews.com®.
Jermaine Franklin
Where is your development?
“I think I’m pretty good. I still have a lot of stuff to work on. I’m still working on being aggressive offensive wise.“
On his opponent, Craig Lewis:
“I fought him in the amateurs. It’s not the same. But he still fights with the same style. I think it’s going to be a good fight.”
Favorite punch to throw:
“The jab. My coaches used to make me jab until my arms fall off.”
Mike Acri, Adviser
What makes Franklin a special fighter?
“He has a lot of natural ability. He’s naturally talented. He is the type of kid who can play football and basketball. He’s an athlete, so on that level, he’s a good fighter. It’s always good when a fighter has those types of skills. I think that’s what makes him exceptional. He’s just a tremendous athlete .”
Where is Franklin’s development?
“He’s only had 30 amateur fights. He is still early in his pro career. It’s a process in developing a fighter. With heavyweights, there’s not a lot of fights out there. Sometimes, you have to take the fight, even if it’s not a good fight, just to get it in. This fighter has ability… real ability. We will find out in six months to a year where he’s at.”