Anthony Joshua returns to the ring on Saturday, with the British former two-time heavyweight world champion facing Jermaine Franklin at the O2 Arena.
His American opponent is fighting once again in London, having been beaten on points by Dillian Whyte last November at Wembley Arena. Joshua, meanwhile, is hoping for a return to the form which saw him twice become heavyweight world champion after three defeats in his last five fights.
The British fighter rose to prominence in the past decade, turning professional in 2013 after winning gold at the 2012 London Olympics. The 33-year-old has struggled to recapture his best form in recent fights and successive defeats to Oleksandr Usyk have set his career back in recent years.
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His first fight against Usyk took place in 2021, with the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium playing host to a resounding win for the former cruiserweight Usyk. This was a huge disappointment for Joshua and, after this, he parted ways with long-time trainer Rob McCracken and hired Robert Garcia to prepare for the rematch.
The rematch was well matched last August, with Joshua looking to have the power to trouble Usyk, but his opponent's superior movement and boxing skill was evident and he was able to rack up the points on the judges' scorecards more effectively than 'AJ'.
It was a vastly improved performance from Joshua in Saudi Arabia, with the outcome being a split decision in favour of the Ukrainian Usyk. Joshua lauded Usyk in a bizarre speech in the aftermath before entering into negotiations to fight against Tyson Fury soon after.
That fight failed to come to fruition, however, and Joshua now looks to be eyeing a further world title shot, with the fight this weekend being billed as a 'New Dawn' for the star. He has once again hired a new coach, with Derrick James taking on the challenge of restoring his world champion status.
Franklin is not expected to provide the sort of test that Fury or Usyk would, but with the latest shenanigans which led to that pair's fight falling through, there is an open door for Joshua to work his way to become champion once again.
AJ vs Franklin takes place on April 1 at London's iconic O2. Some last minute tickets are available, but you can watch the whole thing from the comfort of your sofa for just £9.99 alongside hours of other sport content as part of a DAZN package.
Sports streaming service DAZN shows boxing, wrestling, cricket, football, MMA, basketball and lots more from just £9.99 a month. It's also available without a contract.
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DAZNJoshua vs Usyk 2 scorecards
Viktor Fesechko: 116-112
Steve Gray: 115-113
Glenn Feldman: 115-113
Usyk won via split-decision
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