File: Anthony Joshua during a fight.
Tickets for the Anthony Joshua vs. Jermaine Franklin bout have not been selling as expected, leaving thousands of seats still available. The O2 Arena’s website shows numerous sections with open seating just a month before the April 1 fight. Joshua has lost three of his last four bouts and is taking a step down in competition to rebuild momentum against the American challenger.
Franklin (21‑1) last fought in November, losing to Dillian Whyte, but earned praise for taking the Briton to the wire after many critics wrote him off. Joshua (27‑3) could have faced Otto Wallin, Demsey McKean, or Franklin and chose the latter. If the fight goes well, Joshua is expected to meet Whyte in June, followed by a potential blockbuster against Tyson Fury or Deontay Wilder later in the year.
Despite the upcoming matchup, fan enthusiasm appears low, with a large number of seats still unsold. With just under four weeks left until fight night, early signs suggest Joshua may struggle to fill the arena, even though he has previously sold out larger venues such as Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and Wembley.
Joshua’s stock has fallen considerably after back‑to‑back defeats to Ukrainian heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk. A recent UK magazine poll found that 82.7% of 4,862 readers believe his time at the top is over, and his comeback fight with Franklin ranked lowest among the fights readers were most looking forward to in 2023, while Tyson Fury vs. Usyk topped the list.
Comments are closed for this story.