Anthony Joshua will return to action on 1 April when he takes on Jermaine Franklin, looking to bounce back after a string of poor results that has left him without any heavyweight titles.
It’s been that long since AJ hasn’t been a challenger or champion that this will be his first non-title for seven years as he looks to rebuild his status in the division and ultimately get back in the big time, where he feels he belongs.
His American opponent is also coming off the back of a loss. He was defeated via majority decision by Dillian Whyte at Wembley. He’ll be hoping for a happier return to London when he takes on AJ at the O2 Arena next month.
Anthony Joshua to take on Jermaine Franklin
Joshua heads into the fight off the back of a defeat as well, but diving into the records it is much worse for AJ. He has lost three of his last five bouts, losing his heavyweight titles twice in the process in what is a period to forget for him.
Firstly, he lost to Andy Ruiz Jr in a result that shook the boxing world given what appeared to be a huge mismatch, with Ruiz also stepping in at short notice. It was a TKO victory for his opponent which made it even more shocking. He did however secure victory via unanimous decision in the rematch, reclaiming his titles.
His next fight saw him KO Kubrat Pulev before taking on Oleksandr Usyk. The Ukrainian was too hot for AJ to handle in their first bout, winning via unanimous decision from the Tottenham Hotspur stadium. The rematch was closer, but after 12 rounds, Usyk was still on top, but the judges were split on the decision.
Images: Anthony Joshua looks absolutely shredded
So, after such a dismal spell in his career, it’s no surprise to see him taking his next bout as seriously as possible. He’s putting in some serious work away from the ring and looks absolutely jacked as a result.
He shared two images on social media of him cutting down a tree and he looks absolutely shredded. One thing is for sure, Franklin will have to be in the best shape possible to live with AJ who looks a different monster to before.
I’m sure AJ fans will be excited to see him back in action and will be intrigued to see how he can bounce back from the heartbreak of recent fights.
