Joshua enters boxing ring for first time since lost title fights in April | Sports Other

Feb 06, 2023 at 7:54 PMUpdate: 7 minutes ago

Top boxer Anthony Joshua will make his first appearance on April 1 since his two title fight losses to Oleksandr Usyk. The 33-year-old heavyweight will compete against American Jermaine Franklin at the O2 Arena in London.

Joshua faced Usyk in September 2021 and August 2022. In the first fight he lost his world titles in the WBA, WBO and IBF very surprisingly to the Ukrainian, who also won the second fight.

Since then Joshua, who had won 24 of his 25 pro fights until his double confrontation with Usyk, has not played again. Franklin will be his next opponent at the beginning of April.

Franklin went down on points against Joshua’s compatriot Dillian Whyte in November. It was the 29-year-old American boxer’s first defeat in 22 fights.

“I’m looking forward to getting back in the ring,” Joshua told the BBC on Monday. “Mentally and physically I feel ready. I want to make a spectacle of it and impress my coach, who sets the bar high.”

In addition to the double loss against Usyk, Joshua suffered his only other defeat in 2019 against Andy Ruiz. He later took revenge on the now 33-year-old American.

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