A huge fight in London will take place on Saturday, April 1, as Anthony Joshua makes his return to the ring. The British heavyweight hasn’t been in action since falling short in his rematch for the WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO heavyweight titles. This showdown against Jermaine Franklin is a must-not-lose bout for AJ at the O2 Arena.
Before Betting On Anthony Joshua vs Jermaine Franklin
Anthony Joshua makes his long awaited return to the ring on the first Saturday in April, as the former two-time world champion faces a date with destiny against Jermaine Franklin. Joshua’s last appearance in the ring came back in August 2022, as he was beaten by split decision against Oleksandr Usyk. That defeat ended all hope of an all-British unification showdown against Tyson Fury, and he will need to get back to winning ways to earn a potential future showdown against the Gypsy King.
Joshua’s recent record in the ring is fairly weak, as he has lost each of his previous two fights, with both coming against Usyk. His only win since the start of 2020 was secured against Kubrat Pulev, while he has won just twice in his previous four fights since losing his perfect record against Andy Ruiz Jr in June 2019.
Jermaine Franklin is certainly not an easy opponent for Joshua with the stakes as big as they are. The American has lost just once in 22 previous professional bouts, with that loss coming by majority decision in November 2022 against Dillian Whyte.
Prior to that defeat, he had won 14 of his 21 professional bouts by knockout, and he is yet to be stopped in 22 previous bouts. Joshua will need a statement win to set up a return challenge for a world title, but that certainly doesn’t look easy based on the career record that Franklin has enjoyed.
Anthony Joshua vs Jermaine Franklin Offshore Odds
| Offshore Sportsbook | Joshua | Franklin |
|---|---|---|
| BetOnline | -1000 | +600 |
| BetUS | -1400 | +700 |
| Sportsbetting.ag | -1000 | +600 |
| MyBookie | -1250 | +567 |
This is a massive fight in the career of Joshua, as a defeat could signal the end of his professional career. We expect a response from AJ in London, and we could see him securing a huge TKO win over the American.
