Anthony Joshua vs. Jermaine Franklin officially announced - date and venue revealed

Anthony Joshua will face Jermaine Franklin on April 1st at the O2 Arena in London.

'AJ' has been out of action since his high-profile rematch with Oleksandr Usyk last August in Saudi Arabia. Despite changing trainers, and 'The Cat' having recently been involved in the Ukraine/Russia war, Joshua again came up short.

This time, by split decision in a 'Fight of the Year' contender. While Joshua received praise for his performance, it was still his second loss in a row to Usyk, and his third in his last five ring appearances. With that in mind, the former champion needed a reset.

Anthony Joshua will get that chance to get a reset this April in the U.K. against Jermaine Franklin. '989 Assassin' has long been the Brit's rumored comeback opponent but wasn't confirmed until Eddie Hearn did so on Twitter earlier today.

For his part, Franklin is entering the contest off a close decision defeat to Dillian Whyte late last year. However, the decision was quite contentious, as many felt 'The Body Snatcher' didn't deserve the victory.

Earlier this year, Eddie Hearn hinted that Anthony Joshua will fight Dillian Whyte in a rematch in 2023. With that in mind, a matchup with Franklin makes sense for the former two-time heavyweight champion.

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Anthony Joshua is excited for his return against Jermaine Franklin

During a recent press release, Anthony Joshua discussed his comeback fight.

Despite changing trainers prior to his rematch with Oleksandr Usyk, 'AJ' has done it again. Following his loss last August, the former champion announced his intentions to change trainers for his next fight.

The Brit ultimately settled on Derrick James as his next head trainer. A former 'Trainer of the Year' winner from The Ring magazine, he's currently the head coach for Errol Spence and Jermell Charlo.

With a new trainer by his side and planning a busy 2023 complete with three fights, Anthony Joshua is ready to get to work. The former champion discussed his return in a press release to promote his upcoming return.

In a press release, Joshua was quoted as stating:

“I want to put on a show and impress my coach as he has high standards. Franklin has a good style and a great attitude, which he has shown in recent fights. This will be my first fight broadcast on DAZN in the UK and it will be globally available on the platform. I want to thank DAZN for supporting both myself and the sport of boxing as a whole. I would also like to thank the team at 258 and Matchroom Boxing.”