A former two-time heavyweight king, Anthony Joshua is on the outside looking in for the first time in his career. Under a new trainer, but in the familiar stomping ground of the O2 Arena in London, AJ will face American contender Jermaine Franklin on April 1. The 12-round bout, plus undercard action, will be broadcast exclusively by DAZN.
A 2012 Olympic gold medalist, Joshua beat Charles Martin in 2016 for the IBF heavyweight title. It was his first taste of world title gold but not his last. He beat Wladimir Klitschko for the vacant WBA belt and Joseph Parker for the WBO title.
MORE: Join DAZN to watch Anthony Joshua vs. Jermaine Franklin
However, since 2019, Joshua has gone 2-3 in his last five fights. He lost the belts against Andy Ruiz Jr. before beating an unmotivated Ruiz that same year. Following a win over Kubrat Pulev, Joshua lost the titles again, this time to former undisputed cruiserweight champ Oleksandr Usyk. In the rematch in August, Joshua lost again and reacted bitterly by throwing down the belts on the canvas and going on a wild rant.
Joshua has been switching trainers since the Ruiz loss. He will now work with acclaimed coach Derrick James and plans on going “back to the basics” for this fight.
“I feel I have to take Jermaine Franklin more seriously than I do Usyk. I now know better,” Joshua told DAZN. “How I trained, it wasn’t enough. I have to put more pressure on myself. As long as I’m fighting, I’ll have self-expectation to get better.”
Franklin turned pro in 2015. His biggest bout until recently was a 2019 unanimous decision win over Rydell Booker. In November, Franklin lost to former world title challenger Dillian Whyte on a controversial majority decision. While disappointed, Team Franklin knew that the performance level would attract more big fights.
“I know that Jermaine has more potential than he showed in the Dillian Whyte fight,” promoter Dmitriy Salita of Salita Promotions told The Sporting News. “Coming into that fight, he wasn’t that active, and it was a relatively short-notice bout. He crammed into the training camp and did what he could, which was a tremendous performance. Jermaine just fought in November. He’s strong and back in the gym. I believe that fight, even in a loss, gave him some confidence. Jermaine’s not really intimidated by anybody.
“We don’t know what Joshua has left. I believe that Jermaine has athleticism, speed, and a great chin. He has all the tools to score the upset.”
MORE: Who is Jermaine Franklin?
Here is all you need to know ahead of Joshua vs. Franklin, from time, channel, odds, card, and more.
When is Anthony Joshua vs. Jermaine Franklin
- Date: Saturday, April 1 | Sunday, April 2
- Start time: 2 p.m. ET | 7 p.m. GMT. | 6 a.m. AEDT
- Main event: 5:30 p.m. ET | 10:30 p.m. GMT | 9:30 a.m. AEDT
Joshua vs. Franklin takes place on April 1. The main card starts at 2 p.m. ET | 7 p.m. GMT. | 6 a.m. AEDT. Joshua and Franklin should enter the ring around 5:30 p.m. ET | 10:30 p.m. GMT | 9:30 a.m. AEDT, depending on how long the undercard fights last.
How to watch Anthony Joshua vs. Jermaine Franklin
| Country | Date | Channel + Live Stream (main card) |
| United States | Sat. April 1 | DAZN |
| United Kingdom | Sat. April 1 | DAZN |
| Australia | Sun. April 2 | DAZN |
The Anthony Joshua vs. Jermaine Franklin fight card will be available via DAZN.
Anthony Joshua vs. Jermaine Franklin price: How much does the card cost?
- DAZN monthly subscription: $19.99, $24.99 in Canada, £7.99 in the U.K., 13.99 AUD
- DAZN annual subscription: $149.99, $199.99 in Canada
To watch Joshua vs. Franklin, you can pay a DAZN monthly subscription ($19.99) or an annual subscription ($149.99). In Canada, a DAZN monthly subscription is $24.99, while an annual subscription is $199.99.
MORE: Join DAZN to watch Anthony Joshua vs. Jermaine Franklin
In Australia, it costs 13.99 AUD a month. It costs £7.99 for a monthly subscription in the U.K.
Where is Anthony Joshua vs. Jermaine Franklin?
Joshua vs. Franklin takes place inside the O2 Arena in London. The arena can hold up to 20,000 people.
Making his pro debut in the O2 Arena, Joshua last fought there in 2016.
Anthony Joshua vs. Jermaine Franklin betting odds
Per Caesars, Anthony Joshua is the -1100 favorite, while Jermaine Franklin is the +700 underdog.
In Canada, per Sports Interaction, Anthony Joshua is the -1221 favorite, while Jermaine Franklin is the +591 underdog.
MORE: How to bet on combat sports
Anthony Joshua record and bio
- Nationality: British
- Born: Oct. 15, 1989
- Height: 6-6
- Reach: 82 inches
- Total fights: 27
- Record: 24-3 with 22 wins via knockout
Jermaine Franklin record and bio
- Nationality: American
- Born: October 21, 1993
- Height: 6-2
- Reach: 77 inches
- Total fights: 22
- Record: 21-1 with 14 wins via knockout
Anthony Joshua vs. Jermaine Franklin fight card
- Anthony Joshua vs. Jermaine Franklin; Heavyweights
- Matteo Signani vs. Felix Cash; Middleweights
- Craig Richards vs. Ricards Bolotniks; Light-Heavyweights
here 
.jpg?itok=Z6ZsJCDx)
