ANTHONY JOSHUA is BACK as he prepares to face American Jermaine Franklin in a huge comeback fight.
AJ hasn’t been in the ring since he lost his rematch with Oleksandr Usyk back in August.
The former heavyweight champ is looking to get back into title contention, however, and is starting things off with a tasty clash against Franklin.
The Michigan-born fighter lost a narrow decision to Dillian Whyte at the tail-end of 2022, but most thought he did enough to win the fight.
Should Joshua beat Franklin, a rematch with Whyte, who he knocked out in 2015, would be well on the cards.
Joshua’s career is effectively on the line, however, so he can’t take Franklin lightly.
Franklin, 29, will be looking to catapult himself into the heavyweight title picture himself, and a win over Joshua would give him some newfound fame in the US.
Robert Garcia is no longer Joshua’s trainer, with the Brit set to partner up with Derrick James out in Texas.
Joshua will be hoping some fresh eyes in his corner can reignite his career, with future super-fights against Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder still on his mind.
First things first – win emphatically against Franklin and those huge match-ups will be back on.
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When is Joshua vs Franklin?
- Joshua’s big clash against Franklin will take place on Saturday, April 1.
- The event will be held at London’s O2 Arena.
- The fight will get underway at approximately 10.30pm UK time.
- The main card will begin at 6pm or 7pm GMT.
What channel is Joshua vs Franklin and can it be live streamed?
- Joshua vs Franklin will be shown live on DAZN PPV in the UK.
- You can subscribe to DAZN in the UK for £7.99-a-month.
- The fight is available for live streaming on your mobile or tablet device from the DAZN app.
How much will the fight cost?
Joshua’s last fight against Usyk was priced at £26.99 on Sky Sports Box Office.
Joshua vs Franklin will be on DAZN, but a price point has yet to be announced.
Joshua vs Franklin full card
The undercard for Joshua vs Franklin has yet to be announced.
Check back at SunSport for all the latest news on the rest of the bill.
What has been said?
Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn has said: “You go into that fight in April – you know that with defeat, it’s all over, really. It would be a third back-to-back defeat.
“And yet a great performance and a showreel knockout gets everyone saying, ‘We’re back, we’re back baby.’
“That’s what I can’t wait for, because I love it when our backs are against the wall.
“That’s the best moments and this is one of those moments for AJ. He wants a big fight in the summer.
“The one that would make sense and the one that should be hopefully quite straightforward to make is the rematch with Dillian Whyte.
“We’re open to a Deontay Wilder fight, we’re open to a Tyson Fury fight.”
Who is Joshua’s new trainer Derrick James?
Joshua had Team GB coach Rob McCracken in his corner for most of his career, but that all changed before the Usyk rematch.
AJ brought in esteemed trainer of multiple world champions Robert Garcia.
And though Garcia did implement a more offensive game plan against Usyk, the fight slipped away from Joshua, who has now decided to make another change.
Joshua is set to link up with James, who trains both undisputed super-welterweight champion Jermell Charlo, and unified welterweight titleholder Errol Spence Jr.
Both men are offensive-minded, with Spence Jr especially well-versed when it comes to educated pressure-fighting.
James won the Ring Magazine trainer of the year award in 2017, but he also had his own fighting career once upon a time.
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The Texan finished his career with a pro record of 27-7-1, but missed out on the chance to compete at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona.
James is currently the only trainer in boxing to coach two fighters who hold multiple world titles.
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
