Former cruiserweight world champion Tony Bellew has urged Anthony Joshua to secure a knockout victory against Jermaine Franklin in their upcoming bout in London. Scheduled for April 1 at the O2 Arena, this fight marks Joshua’s attempt to rebound from two consecutive defeats against Oleksandr Usyk and to achieve his first win in the ring since 2020. Notably, this will be the first time since 2015 that Joshua will not have a world title on the line, as he currently finds himself outside of contention for the heavyweight belts.
To regain his status in the heavyweight division, Joshua needs to start accumulating wins, beginning with Franklin. However, Bellew emphasizes that merely defeating Franklin is not sufficient; Joshua must win decisively to reestablish himself at the top of the division. “Joshua is coming off the back of two defeats,” Bellew stated in an interview with talkSPORT. “So, we just want to see him back in the ring. We want to see him shining and we want to see him get that big knockout win, which I think he’ll achieve against Jermaine Franklin.”
Bellew acknowledges Joshua’s previous challenges, noting, “He’s gone up against the greatest cruiserweight I’ve seen (Usyk) and he’s come up short, but so has everyone else who has faced him.” He believes that this fight is crucial for Joshua’s future, stating, “At this stage now, we just want to see him back in the ring, looking his best and doing what he does best, which is knocking people out, and I think he’ll do it on April 1.”
Bellew views this matchup as pivotal for Joshua’s career trajectory. He described it as a “make or break fight, a career-defining fight.” He explained, “This is one where, against Usyk, he was going in against the best, and against the best, you can win some and lose some. But when you’re facing someone like Jermaine Franklin, you’ve got to starch him. You’ve got to take his head off.”
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