The long-awaited announcement of Anthony Joshua’s next opponent has finally been made. Jermaine Franklin, who previously fought Joshua’s longtime rival, Dillian Whyte, will face the former unified Heavyweight champion at the O2 Arena in London, on April 1. The announcement comes off the back of weeks of speculation and hints surrounding a potential fight between the two.
Following his loss to Oleksandr Usyk (20-0, 13 KO’s) for the second time of his career on the 20th of August in 2022, Anthony Joshua (24-3, 22 KO’s) has been linked to a wide variety of opponents as he sought to make his return to the ring, including a potential match with WBC Heavyweight champion Tyson Fury (33-0-1 , 24 KO’s). Anthony Joshua was expected to face an ‘easier’ opponent follwing his two back-to-back losses to Usyk, but given Jermaine Franklin’s (21-1, 14 KO’s) last performance against Dillian Whyte (29-3, 19 KO’s), Franklin offers a significant challenge that may bar Joshua from reclaiming his spot as one of the best Heavyweights in the world.
With Franklin having given Whyte a very tough fight in their November match at the Wembley Arena last year and Franklin being relatively younger and likely more motivated than Joshua, the American has all the means to cause a shock upset. Despite the threat he poses, several known names in boxing have criticized Anthony Joshua’s choice of opponent.
Dillian Whyte, who had been told by Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, that he would face Joshua following his win over Franklin was fuming after being denied the opportunity to face Joshua again, and in an interview with The Sun he referred to Jermaine Franklin as a “low-key American coming off a loss”. With Whyte having sought a third fight with Anthony Joshua (after first losing to him as an amateur, and second time as a professional) for years now, the Jamaica-born Brit did not shy away in expressing his frustration at the matchmaking.
‘”Everyone was told, all the boxing fans, the winner of me and Franklin fights AJ, so this is a f***ed up thing.” Whyte said to The Sun. “I would have been better off losing the Franklin fight and getting the AJ fight!”
Adam Caterrall, a sports journalist of Talksport, also chimed in on Anthony Joshua’s choice of an opponent, remarking that Franklin was a “step back” for Joshua given the accomplishments he’s had in the sport.
Eddie Hearn himself has hit back at critics who question Joshua’s fight with Jermaine Franklin.
“Anthony Joshua’s got defeat to Usyk, defeat to Usyk, and fighting Jermaine Franklin who many feel beat Dillian Whyte.” Hearn said in a recent interview.
“I mean, it’s a really tough fight.”
Jermaine Franklin also seems keen on proving himself against the former unified Heavyweight champion. In a recent social media post, Franklin – who had previously expressed the belief he won the fight against Whyte – feels intent on beating Joshua on April 1st.
“So many people talking trash about me and my skills, but I see no one is questioning my heart. That is what wins fights. April 1st, I will show you.” Franklin vowed on his Twitter account.
Regardless of who Anthony Joshua faces, his accomplishments as a unified champion would naturally attract criticism given his previous lengthy run as a world champion. With two losses in a row, it was expected that he would make his comeback against someone that was good, but not necessarily a contender yet. Despite lacking a reputation of renown, Jermaine Franklin’s skills as a fighter and recent good performance against Dillian Whyte has made him one of the most curious attractions in the Heavyweight division.
Having already been tipped some years ago to potentially take over the Heavyweight division, Franklin is now in prime position to make good on his potential with a win over Anthony Joshua. Anthony Joshua, in the meantime, is likely set to enter the ring with a new trainer in Derrick James following reports that he has been training in James’ gym. The current trainer of Errol Spence Jr. (28-0, 22 KO’s) and undisputed champion Jermell Charlo (35-1-1, 19 KO’s), Derrick James is a credible name in boxing given his fighters’ accomplishments. In 2021, James received the ‘Trainer of the Year’ award by the WBA for his work in 2020 when both Spence Jr. and Charlo unified in the same year.
