Anthony Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, insists that the British‑Nigerian fighter is desperate to reclaim world titles and become a three‑time heavyweight champion as he returns to the ring in April against Jermaine Franklin. Joshua will look to resurrect his career against the American at London’s O2 Arena, marking his first outing since consecutive losses to Oleksandr Usyk. A defeat to Franklin would likely remove the Watford warrior from the world‑title picture, but Hearn is confident the former two‑time unified heavyweight champion will return to winning ways in style.
“It’s a really tough fight with loads of pressure to come back because if AJ doesn’t win this fight, then we’ve got a major problem. I believe you’ll see a statement from a guy who is very dangerous, very motivated to become a three‑time heavyweight world champion,” Hearn told the BBC.
Franklin, known for his heavy‑handed style, has been dismissed by some as an easy opponent for Joshua, despite having gone the distance with recent WBC title challenger Dillian Whyte last November. Hearn countered, “There’s so much contradiction—‘Anthony Joshua is finished, mentally he’s shot.’ But he’ll knock out Jermaine Franklin inside three rounds. The same people who say Jermaine Franklin beat Dillian Whyte but that he’s a terrible opponent for Anthony Joshua in a comeback fight after two defeats to the pound‑for‑pound number one.”
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