Former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua will launch his comeback with a fight against American boxer Jermaine Franklin in London on April 1.
Last month, sources told ESPN’s Mike Coppinger that both boxers were in the process of finalizing a deal for the bout.
Joshua (24-3, 22 KOs) hasn’t fought since August, when he lost for a second straight time to Oleksandr Usyk in Saudi Arabia.
The British fighter had relinquished his WBA, WBO and IBF belts to the same opponent in September 2021.
“A New Dawn,” Joshua wrote Monday in a tweet which contained a poster for the fight against Franklin taking place at the O2 Arena.
Joshua was ringside in November when Franklin lost to Dillian Whyte at Wembley Arena in London. That was his first defeat in 22 pro fights.
Last week, Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn didn’t rule out the possibility of a future fight between Joshua and former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou.
