Anthony Joshua WON'T be fighting on pay-per-view when he faces Jermaine Franklin at The O2 arena in April.
Former two-time heavyweight champion Joshua, 33, will look to bounce back to winning ways against Franklin on April 1 in London. The Brit hasn't won a fight since knocking out Kubrat Pulev over two years ago, losing his belts to Oleksandr Usyk in September 2021 and failing to win them back in their rematch last August.
Joshua's fight against Franklin will be his first in a five-year partnership with DAZN, meaning it will be included in the monthly £9.99 subscription to the streaming service and fans will not need to pay an additional pay-per-view fee to watch it. Those watching outside of the UK will also be able to stream the fight via their DAZN subscription without any additional charge.
Who wins - Anthony Joshua or Jermaine Franklin? Let us know your prediction in the comments section below
'AJ' said of his fight against Franklin: "I'm looking forward to stepping back into the ring. Mentally and physically I feel ready. I want to put on a show and impress my coach as he has high standards. Franklin has a good style and a great attitude, which he has shown in recent fights. This will be my first fight broadcast on DAZN in the UK and it will be globally available on the platform."
Franklin suffered the first defeat of his professional career in a controversial decision loss to Dillian Whyte last November. The 29-year-old insisted that the judges at ringside won't be called upon for his fight against Joshua, stating: "I’m ready to show the world why it’s time for me to take my place at the top of the Heavyweight division. Joshua had his time. It’s my time to shock the world! This fight isn’t going to the judge’s card.
Joshua has parted ways with two coaches since losing his heavyweight titles to Usyk, but has seemingly settled on trainer Derrick James for his upcoming fight against Franklin. The 51-year-old, who coaches world champions such as Errol Spence Jr and Jermell Charlo, will hope to put Joshua back on the path towards becoming a three-time world champion.
Matchroom Boxing boss Eddie Hearn, who promotes Joshua, thinks the Brit's decision to train in America for his upcoming fight will be hugely beneficial. "The problem is with him being in the UK is he can't breathe, when he goes to America people still know who he is but it's just a different world," Hearn said on the DAZN Boxing Show. " Can you imagine that AJ where he is going to be training, can go for a walk and go and sit in a coffee shop with some friends."
