Anthony Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn has insisted there is nothing to worry about despite low ticket sales for his comeback fight with Jermaine Franklin.
The two-time world heavyweight champion is returning to the ring on April 1, moving from the massive UK stadiums he has become accustomed to in recent years to The O2 arena; a considerably smaller venue. And despite having fewer tickets to sell than his last few UK bouts, Joshua has struggled to sell out the London venue, where he hasn't fought since the summer of 2016.
But Hearn is confident the arena will be full on fight night, declaring that sales are not as slow as is being reported and that they have just a few hundred tickets left to sell. The Matchroom Boxing boss has overseen Joshua's entire career as a professional, and in 2021 signed him to a lifetime deal.
"Basically, people love to exaggerate on things," Hearn told Mirror Fighting in Dublin yesterday at the launch press conference for Katie Taylor vs Chantelle Cameron. "There's a few hundred tickets left. It is expensive, it's difficult at the moment in general.
"It's Jermaine Franklin, not Klitschko or anyone he's fought before. But it will be completely sold out on the night and it will be a great atmosphere. I think it will be a very tough fight. We need to just beat Jermaine Franklin which I really feel is a tough fight."
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Hearn is confident Joshua will sell out the London venue in his first fight off pay-per-view in years, and believes that it will eventually lead to a bigger fight later in the year. The former world champion is still keen to settle his feuds with Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder, and could also face Dillian Whyte in a trilogy of sorts after their meetings as amateurs and professionals.
"If he comes through that, is Tyson Fury available if he don't fight Oleksandr Usyk?" Hearn offered in terms of future opponents. "Deontay Wilder, Dillian Whyte? It will be one of those three. But now all eyes are on April 1. It's a tough fight and I hope he comes through in style."
