Anthony Joshua’s comeback fight will take place at the O2 Arena in London on April 1, as announced by boxing promoter Eddie Hearn.
The two-time heavyweight champion is scheduled to fight 29-year-old Jermaine Franklin, following the latter’s loss to Dillian Whyte last November.
Hearn revealed that the fight between Joshua and the American will be officially announced next week at a news conference.
“It’s a really tough fight with loads of pressure to come back because if AJ doesn’t win this fight, then we’ve got a major problem,” Hearn said.
“I believe you’ll see a statement from a guy who is very dangerous, very motivated to become a three-time heavyweight world champion.”
The British fighter [Joshua] has lost his last two fights to the same fighter, Ukraine’s Oleksandr Usyk, who is the reigning WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and IBO heavyweight champion. Usyk defeated the 2012 Olympic champion by a split decision when they last fought in Saudi Arabia in August 2022.
With talks of Franklin being an easy draw for Joshua, Hearn shrugged off such suggestions and reminded people that the American was unbeaten before losing controversially on points to Whyte.
“There’s so much contradiction: ‘Anthony Joshua is finished, mentally he’s shot, but he’ll knock out Jermaine Franklin inside three rounds,'” Hearn told 5 Live Boxing in New York.
“The same people that say Jermaine Franklin beat Dillian Whyte but he’s a terrible opponent for Anthony Joshua, in a comeback fight after two defeats to the pound-for-pound number one.
“What this guy has done from a resume perspective is unbelievable…and I’m telling you now, this guy [Joshua] – still top-three heavyweight, capable of regaining his heavyweight world title,” he concluded.
The proposed bout will be Joshua’s 28th career fight, and he has suffered three defeats and has 24 wins, including 22 knockouts. He will be seeking his first victory since beating Bulgaria’s Kubrat Pulev in 2020
