Anthony Joshua will take to the ring tonight to begin a new chapter in his career, with Jermaine Franklin his opponent as he fights at London's O2 Arena for the first time since 2016.
It is also his first time not fighting for a world title in the same period, with his first world title win coming at the same venue in 2016 as he beat Charles Martin to claim the IBF world heavyweight crown. He went on to claim the WBA (Super), WBO and IBO belts before his first ever loss, to Andy Ruiz Jr. in 2019.
Joshua went on the avenge that defeat, but successive losses to pound-for-pound king Oleksandr Usyk have left him having to rebuild his reputation in the heavyweight ranks. He will, however, embark on a fresh chapter this weekend with a new trainer in his corner in the form of Derrick James.
READ MORE: Anthony Joshua v Jermaine Franklin undercard with Hatton and Wardley fights
A win against Franklin could set him on a path to success and even a world title shot sooner rather than later, with the current chaos in the heavyweight division after the collapse of Usyk's proposed unification bout vs Tyson Fury. However, the American is expected to put up a good fight despite having lost his unbeaten record to Dillian Whyte at Wembley Arena in November.
Also on the card, Campbell Hatton takes on Louis Fielding, with his win against Michel Gonxhe in march fresh in the memory. Meanwhile, Fabio Wardley vs Michael Polite Coffie is the highlight of the undercard in their British title fight.
When is Joshua vs Franklin?
The fight takes place at the O2 Arena in London, with the date set for Saturday, April 1 and ring walks for the main event are expected at the very specific time of 10:41pm, according to the fight broadcaster DAZN.
How to watch Joshua vs Franklin
The fight will be shown live on DAZN, with no pay-per-view in an interesting move from the streaming platform.
However, the bundle of packages available have risen in cost ahead of the fight, with a rolling monthly package now costing £19.99 while a yearly payment now costs £99.99. A full list of devices supported by the platform is available here.
You can view DAZN packages and sign up here.
What has been said?
Anthony Joshua:
“It’s big, it’s massive. It’s a big fight for me, for sure. I respect my opponent fully and respect everything he's been through and we're here to rock and roll. I respect my supporters as well so I have put in the work, I respect my coach as well so I want to make sure I get the job done in good finish. I like the fact you always dangle carrots in front of me, telling me if I do this, this is here and that's there always leading onto big things. I dream big and I want bigger and better things in my life. As I stated in the last press conference, I want to secure the bag and move on in my life."
Jermaine Franklin:
“First off, I want to say it is an honour to be back in the UK. I appreciate the opportunity. In the beginning I’ve just been on a little health journey. I changed my eating habits and changed stuff that I was consuming. My body weight just started falling off. We had more time to prepare for this fight so I’m more ready and I’m more in shape. I’m just ready to let the fireworks go. I’m just a huge fan of the sport. I watch a lot of boxing. I watched AJ fights way before we even had this opportunity or thought it was possible. I’m just a huge fan of the sport.
"My confidence is always great. I think you’re in the wrong business if you don’t truly believe in yourself – this is not the right game for you. You always have to have the extreme upmost confidence in yourself and you just have to put your faith in the work that’s gone on behind it. I’m going to get the win by any means possible. But if I can put him on his ass then that’s what I’m going to try to do. Anything is possible. I come from a place with not a lot of possibilities, and I made it this far so anything is possible. My passion for the sport, my team and my family; that’s all the motivation I need. I believe my hands get raised at the end of the fight.”
Who is on the undercard?
Undercard
- Peter Kadiru vs. Hueseyin Akdemir; Heavyweight
- Ziyad Almaayouf vs. TBA; Welterweight
- Juergen Uldedaj vs. Michael Webster; Cruiserweight
- Jordan Flynn vs. Kane Barker; Lightweight
- John Hedges vs. Daniel Bocianski; Light heavyweight
Main Card
- Campbell Hatton vs. Louis Fielding; Super lightweight
- Austin Williams vs. River Wilson-Brent; Middleweight
- Galal Yafai vs. Moises Calleros; Flyweight
- Fabio Wardley vs. Michael Polite Coffie; Heavyweight
- Anthony Joshua vs. Jermaine Franklin; Heavyweight
Joshua vs Franklin fight odds
Odds via Betfair
Anthony Joshua vs Jermaine Franklin match odds
Anthony Joshua: 1/14
Draw: 25/1
Jermaine Franklin: 15/2
Method of victory
Anthony Joshua KO/TKO: 1/4
Anthony Joshua Points or Decision: 9/2
Jermaine Franklin Points or Decision: 12/1
Jermaine Franklin KO/TKO: 13/1
Fight to go the distance
Yes: 7/2
No: 1/6
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