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It’s official: Anthony Joshua will be back in the ring in less than two months’ time.
The Brit’s comeback fight has been announced, with a clash against Jermaine Franklin set for 1 April at the O2 Arena in London. This will be Joshua’s first fight since he lost to Oleksandr Usyk for a second time.
Here’s a look at what this fight means for the boxing world.
Joshua vs Franklin: Who Is Jermaine Franklin?
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The man who will be in Joshua’s sights as part of his comeback to the peak of heavyweight boxing is American Jermaine Franklin.
Franklin has a fine record of 21-1-0, having debuted as a professional in 2015. Until recently, Franklin was undefeated, winning 21 in a row with 14 knockouts. However, late last year Franklin suffered a shock loss to Dillian Whyte via majority decision, giving the heavyweight his first taste of defeat in his career. It was Franklin’s first fight outside of the States, and if the American is going to rectify his mistakes of last year, he’ll have to learn how to win away from home quickly.
The 29-year-old will be at a significant disadvantage in both height and reach to Joshua. Franklin’s reach is 196cm, while Joshua’s is 208cm, with the Brit standing at 198cm, compared to Franklin’s 188cm.
Anthony Joshua Next Fight: Boxing Career on Life Support
It’s been almost seven years since Anthony Joshua had a fight with no heavyweight belts in the room.
For the first time since 2016, Joshua will be engaging in a standard boxing match—no title fight for the Brit. It will also be the first time in a long time that one of Joshua’s fights isn’t a pay-per-view event, instead being part of the DAZN subscription.
All of this is courtesy of the downfall of Anthony Joshua. In 2019, Joshua was on top of the world—heavyweight world champion in his 20s, and looking untouchable. That is, until he stepped into he ring with Andy Ruiz Jr., and was knocked out by the Mexican heavyweight losing all of his belts.
This marked the start of Joshua’s demise, and though he won his belts back off Ruiz Jr. in a rematch, they were soon to go to Oleksandr Usyk. Joshua’s attempts at winning his belts back this time were unsuccessful, meaning that Joshua heads into April’s fight having suffered consecutive losses for the first time in his career, and in serious danger of becoming irrelevant.
Anthony Joshua vs Jermaine Franklin Fight Details
- Joshua vs Franklin date: 1 April 2023
- Joshua vs Franklin location: O2 Arena, London, United Kingdom
- How to watch Joshua vs Franklin: DAZN
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