A former two-time heavyweight king, Anthony Joshua is on the outside looking in for the first time in his career. Under a new trainer, but in the familiar stomping ground of the O2 Arena in London, AJ will face American contender Jermaine Franklin on April 1. The 12-round bout, plus undercard action, will be broadcast exclusively by DAZN.
If Joshua can make easy work of the 29-year-old, then he will re-assert himself into the world title picture and prove that he is still a force to be reckoned with in the heavyweight division.
Here's everything you need to know ahead of Joshua vs. Franklin.
Date: Saturday, April 1
Time: 7 p.m. BST / 2 p.m. ET
Main event ring walks (approx.): 10:41 p.m. BST / 5:41 p.m. ET
The main card is set to get underway at 7 p.m. BST / 2 p.m. ET with the main event ring walks scheduled for 10:41 p.m. BST / 5:41 p.m. ET. These timings could change due to the length of the undercard fights.
Anthony Joshua vs. Jermaine Franklin: What has been said?
Anthony Joshua:
Last year Joshua said goodbye to Sky Sports and signed an exclusive deal with streaming platform DAZN reported to be worth around $100m (£81m).“I am entering a new phase in my career with a new training environment, new coaches and now a new broadcaster,” said Joshua.
Jermaine Franklin:
“I’m ready to show the world why it’s time for me to take my place at the top of the Heavyweight division,” said Franklin. “Joshua had his time. It’s my time to shock the world! This fight isn’t going to the judge’s card. I will have win number 22 come April 1. That isn’t no April Fool’s joke.”
Would you like better boxing gloves? Check out our selection of boxing gloves from the Cobra line, which is composed of Carbon Leather for durability with IMF padding for the best