Sports

Anthony Joshua, Franklin’s Grudge Fight Confirmed For April 1

The much anticipated fight between Anglo-Nigerian and former heavyweight champion, Anthony Joshua and Jermain Franklin has been confirmed to hold on April 1.

The bout is set to take place at the prestigious O2 Arena in London.

The fight will be officially announced at a press conference next week according to Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn.

“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,” said Hearn.

“I believe you’ll see a statement from a guy who is very dangerous, very motivated to become a three-time heavyweight world champion.”

Franklin lost to Dylian White on points last year and Hearn has suggested that he will be a tough nut to crack for Joshua.

“There’s so much contradiction: ‘Anthony Joshua is finished, mentally he’s shot, but he’ll knock out Jermaine Franklin inside three rounds,’” Hearn told 5 Live Boxing in New York.

“The same people that say Jermaine Franklin beat Dillian Whyte but he’s a terrible opponent for Anthony Joshua, in a comeback fight after two defeats to the pound-for-pound number one.

Joshua suffered consecutive losses to Oleksandr Usyk and he will be hoping to bounce back against Franklin to resurrect his career.

Joshua lost all his world heavyweight title belts in 2022 and has seen his value plummet with endorsement deals not coming his way as much as they did previously.

Izuchukwu Okosi

Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc. In October 2004, Okosi joined Complete Communications Limited, publishers of Complete Sports newspaper and Complete Football magazine as a reporter and later script writer for the Complete Sports studio. He worked there for 13 years until October 2017. Okosi also worked various times as Correspondent, Content creator and Editor at Sports Market International Magazine, Opera News, All Nigeria Soccer Media and Iconic Media Watch. He also undertook freelance writing gigs for some local and international organizations. Okosi is a member of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Association of Movie Producers (AMP), Association of Voiceover Artistes of Nigeria (AVOA), Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) and Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ). He has been part of cast in some Nollywood movies and radio dramas including Blood Money 2, Scores To Settle, Dead End 2, Another Campus Tale and Battle Line. Aside mainstream media and the entertainment industry, he has interests in scouting/unearthing of talents in the sports and creative sectors, exports business and property development.