While the Briton gets ready for his bout with Jermaine Franklin, Anthony Joshua’s comeback to the ring is drawing nearer.
Joshua, 33, hasn’t competed since losing to Oleksandr Usyk in August for the second time in a row. The Ukrainian defeated Joshua on points to retain the unified heavyweight championships, which he had previously taken from “AJ” in September 2021 with a decision victory.
Today, as he takes on American Franklin, 29, in London, Joshua hopes to make his way back toward a world championship.
On April 1, the two will square off at the O2 Arena, with the first fight on the undercard set to start at 3.40 PM BST (7.30am PT, 9.30am CT, 10.30am ET).
The main card will begin at 7 p.m. BST (11 a.m. PT, 1 p.m. CT, and 2 p.m. ET), while Joshua and Franklin’s ring walks are scheduled for 10.40 p.m. BST (2.40pm PT, 4.40pm CT, 5.40pm ET). But, depending on how long the fights before it were, the main event might not begin until later.
Rising British heavyweight Fabio Wardley will meet Michael Polite Coffie in the final matchup prior to Joshua vs. Franklin. Prior to that, Ricky Hatton’s son Campbell Hatton will compete for the European middleweight championship against Felix Cash.
Olaseni Anthony Oluwafemi Joshua OBE is an English professional boxer who was born on October 15, 1989. He previously held the WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and IBO heavyweight belts twice between 2016 and 2021, making him a two-time former unified world heavyweight champion. From 2015 to 2016, he captured the British and Commonwealth heavyweight titles at the local level.
Joshua, a latecomer to the sport, started boxing in 2007 when he was 18 years old after his cousin advised he give it a try. Professional heavyweight Derek Chisora resides at his club, Finchley ABC, in Barnet, North London. Joshua won the Haringey Box Cup in 2009 and 2010. Joshua entered the 2012 London Olympics as a newbie on the global stage.
