SO IT won’t be Tyson Fury, Otto Wallin or Demsey McKean. Next up to face Anthony Joshua will be Jermaine Franklin, the American 21-1 (14) unknown in England until he gave Dillian Whyte a tough comeback in November. Two, it has been confirmed that the 29-year-old will play Joshua in the 12th round on April 1, inside the O2 Arena.
The London venue was once Joshua’s favorite haunt during his rapid rise to stadium-conquering superstardom. His record in the North Greenwich arena was 6-0 (6) and set the stage for his victories over Denis Bakhtov, Kevin Johnson, Gary Cornish, Dillian Whyte, Charles Martin and Dominic Breazeale. The seventh round win over Breazeale was his most recent appearance in the arena, in June 2016.
The Killers frontman, Brandon Flowers, said while playing the John Peel stage at Glastonbury in 2018, “You can play this stage on the way up and again on the way down… it’s great to be back. .” But the rock band went against that trend; next year, they lead the whole festival again. Joshua, along with new coach Derrick James, hope to follow that formula and prove he’s still a force to be reckoned with.
“I want to show off and impress my coach because he has high standards,” Joshua said. “Franklin has good style and a great attitude, which he has shown in recent games.
“Mentally and physically, I feel ready,” the 33-year-old added. “I’m looking forward to being back in the ring on April 1.”
Since the last time he fought at the O2, Joshua’s career cannot be ignored. Victory over the likes of Wladimir Klitschko, Joseph Parker and Alexander Povetkin made him a true crossover star. But now he is at a crossroads. An upset loss to Andy Ruiz in New York in 2019, followed by revenge in Saudi Arabia, a blockade defeat by Kubrat Pulev before two losses in 2021-22 to the tennis great great Ukrainian, Oleksandr Usyk.
Some die-hard fans may mock Franklin as an opponent but he seems like a wise choice. Slippery and wise enough to avoid being blown away early, but certainly not dangerous enough to actually win, Joshua could take his time looking to rebuild the confidence he once had.
Franklin began boxing in his teens in his hometown of Saginaw, Michigan after his father took him to the gym to stop him from fighting in the street. He won the national Golden Glove title in 2014 before turning pro in 2015 after deciding not to stay in the amateurs in pursuit of a spot in the Olympics. As a pro player, he’s made steady progress, with his best wins all coming from 10-round decisions against gatekeeper types like Jerry Forrest, Rydell Booker and Pavel Sour. He describes himself as “a thinker inside the ring, although I can brawl, but I can also box.”
He took comfort from fencing division leader Tyson Fury last year. “I told you I learned a lot on the first day,” Franklin said. “I realized what a lot of people don’t believe or don’t want to believe – I can fight the Tyson Furys in the heavyweight division. He’s the best, but I believe I also have the skill and talent to be a champion.”
Franklin then gave Whyte – returning from being leveled by Fury – a lot to think about, with many observers believing he was unlucky to be seen as a majority decision loser after 12 innings. playing at Wembley Arena. from the outside boxing news scored the contest that all square. He insists fighting in England again has nothing to do with him. “One thing I learned about boxing. Never let the judges decide the winner,” he declared. “April 1, tell the judges to take the night off. We won’t need them. I don’t play boxing.”
This contest will mark Joshua’s first 24-3 (22) bout under James. The Watford player parted ways with longtime coach Robert McCracken after his first loss to Usyk and joined forces with Robert Garcia for a comeback. Despite performing better while losing the split decision, he proved to be a clear loser and decided to keep looking for a new head coach.
James, from Dallas, was defeated by Chris Byrd in the 1992 Olympic competitions and went on to have a professional career 27-7-1 (12), losing to the likes of Otis Grant, Joe Lipsey and Ole Klemetson when He fights from middleweight to light-heavyweight. His last competition was a third round win over Martin Verdin in 2008. He currently coaches Errol Spence Jnr and Jermell Charlo, and is considered one of the best coaches in America, a who encouraged aggression and cynicism in his duties.
Joshua’s return was confirmed by DAZN and Matchroom on the same day the streaming channel announced new pricing for subscribers. The current £7.99 monthly flexible fee will increase to £19.99, with payment options of £9.99 per month or a one-time annual fee of £99.99 if customers are willing to commit to 12 month. The Franklin fight won’t be a pay-per-view event in an attempt to convince fans to sign up for the long term.
There is no news on the bottom card.
