February 07, (THEWILL) – British heavyweight boxer, Anthony Joshua, will make his comeback on April 1 against American fighter Jermaine Franklin at the O2 Arena in London.
This fight will mark Joshua’s first bout without a world title at stake in almost seven years, after having unified the WBO, WBA, and IBF heavyweight titles between 2016 and 2018. However, his streak of success came to an end in 2019 when he was defeated by Andy Ruiz in New York.
Despite reclaiming his titles in a rematch against Andy Ruiz later that same year, Joshua has only won one bout since, a 2020 victory over Kubrat Pulev. In 2021, he suffered a defeat at the hands of Ukraine’s Oleksandr Usyk, who outboxed and outpointed him at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Despite losing the rematch in Saudi Arabia last August, Joshua will be entering the ring with a new coach, Derrick James, and a renewed determination to impress.
Franklin, on the other hand, is looking to cause an upset as he steps into the ring. The American suffered his first professional defeat in November 2022, losing a majority decision to Dillian Whyte in London.
However, Franklin remains undeterred and has declared on social media that he will not need the judges to decide the winner on April 1. The American has made it clear that he does not boxing, and will be taking on Joshua with the intention of securing a victory.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
