Anthony Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, has acknowledged that the former unified heavyweight champion has seen a decline in his box‑office appeal, but he insists the 33‑year‑old can still rebound and become the sport’s top boxer. Joshua is still feeling the effects of his consecutive defeats to Ukraine’s Oleksandr Usyk, yet his next fight—scheduled for April 1 at the O2—offers a chance to re‑enter world‑title contention. He will face Jermaine Franklin in a must‑win showdown.
Despite previously selling out venues such as Wembley and Tottenham, thousands of tickets remain unsold for the 20,000‑seat East London arena. Hearn told ESBR Boxing that the back‑to‑back losses to Usyk have hurt Joshua commercially: “He’s coming off two defeats, so of course you’re not going to be the same size commercially as you were when you beat Wladimir Klitschko in front of 90,000. But he’s a great fighter, he’s one of the best heavyweights in the world. I feel like he can still be the best heavyweight in the world.”
Joshua aims to regain title contention, beginning with a compelling bout against American Jermaine Franklin, who narrowly lost a decision to Dillian Whyte at the end of 2022—a fight many observers felt he should have won.
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