It appears that Anthony Joshua will return to the ring in April. Mike Coppinger of ESPN indicates the two-time heavyweight champion will fight heavyweight contender Jermaine Franklin on April 1, 2023 at the O2 Arena in London. Representatives for both fighters have seemingly come to a verbal agreement, but no contracts have been signed just yet.
Anthony Joshua enters the bout with a professional record of 24-3 with 22 knockouts. However, he has tumbled a bit in recent years. After starting his career with 22 consecutive wins with 21 knockouts, he has lost three of his last five fights. Most recently, he suffered two consecutive decision losses at the hands of Oleksandr Usyk. After his most recent defeat, his promoter, Eddie Hearn, told reporters that the British heavyweight would fight three times in 2023.
“To me, the key here is to see him box three times this year,” Hearn said.
Joshua’s 2023 campaign will begin with Jermaine Franklin. Hailing from Saignaw, Michigan, Franklin holds a record 22-1 with 14 knockouts. In November, Dillian Whyte handed Jermaine Franklin the first loss of his pro career. However, he did enough in the fight to work his way into a showdown with the former heavyweight champion.
