Anthony Joshua next as Dillian Whyte slips past a determined Jermaine Franklin

Dillian Whyte survived to fight another day, edging Jermaine Franklin over 12 heated rounds.  

Scores were 115-115 and 116-112 twice.

“He’s undefeated," said Whyte of Franklin. "He’s got a lot of beans in his body.”

In round one, Whyte, the bigger man, fired his heavy jab. Franklin, looking calm, returned the favor with lefts to the body. Whyte (29-3, 19 KOs) delivered rights downstairs. Franklin clipped Whyte with a left hook to the head. 

Franklin stung Whyte with more jabs in round two. Whyte missed with two hard rights, but he was getting closer. Franklin (21-1, 14 KOs) snapped Whyte’s head back with a counter right. Whyte went to the body.

Whyte,35, continued to work downstairs in round three. Franklin landed a clean combination. Whyte, who is anxious to fight Anthony Joshua again, connected with a right to the jaw. Franklin felt the shots but fought back. 

Franklin clipped Whyte with a right hook in round four. Whyte landed a short uppercut. Franklin shook his head and opened up to the body and head.

In round five, Whyte got off first with a cuffing left to the head. He worked the body. Franklin scored with a right. Whyte cracked Franklin’s body, but the 12-1 underdog fighter fought back hard. 

Whyte scored with lefts to the noggin in round six. Franklin,29, landed a combination. Whyte fired back, but Franklin’s volume increased. Whyte came out jabbing in round seven but ate a left hook to the mouth. Franklin’s faster hands were causing issues. Now it was Whyte who looked winded. He fired hooks that landed. Franklin took them well and fired back. 

Franklin landed two hard shots in round eight. Whyte pushed him into the ropes. 

The crafty American beckoned and punched. Whyte cracked Franklin with combinations.

Franklin came out punching in round nine. Whyte bobbed and fired his jab. Franklin dug a left to the liver. Whyte fought back. Franklin shot home two rights. 

Whyte smacked him with a left. A big right hurt Whyte at the bell. 

Franklin jabbed and jabbed in round 10. Whyte also jabbed. One stopped Franklin in his tracks. Franklin unloaded a left, but it was Whyte who landed several heavy shots. Franklin, though, wasn’t going anywhere. He fought back again with lefts and rights. Whyte landed a hard left and right to the chin.

With two heats to go, the fight was close. Franklin cracked Whyte with shots in round 11. Whyte jabbed up and down. Franklin was busier. 

In the 12th and final round, Franklin scored with two shots early. Whyte landed an uppercut. Whyte landed a sweeping blow, Franklin fought back. 

Both heavyweights were exhausted. Whyte unloaded, but so did Franklin. A big Whyte left elbow knocked Franklin into the ropes. A right followed, but Franklin, again, fired back.