Don’t write Joshua off, Hearn warns ahead of AJ’s return

Anthony Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, has warned heavyweight fighters in the top echelon of world boxing to get ready for the return of the former lineal world champion, who is set to make his long-awaited comeback in April.
Joshua has been out of boxing since he lost his last two fights and his world heavyweight boxing titles to Ukraine’s Oleksandr Usyk.

Since the last battle in Saudi Arabia, many boxing pundits have written the Nigerian-born Briton off as a has-been, who has nothing more to offer the sport.

But Hearn thinks otherwise. Speaking on a podcast by saddoboxing.com, Hearn said Joshua has rested well and is now ready to regain his position in the sport.

He said: “Get ready for the return of Joshua. We leave in a mad world, where things happen in a flash.
“This guy has gone on a run without rest…fighting Charles Martin, Molina, Klitschko, Takan, Parker, Povetkin, Ruiz twice and Usyk twice, with no breaks, no easy nights.
“He comes off the back of two difficult fights, one good fight with Usyk and one that he was dominated. These were against one of the best pound-for-pound heavyweights around; yet, people still disrespect him.
“Those that want to downplay his achievements, all I am telling you is to get ready for Joshua’s return.
“He has money in the bank, championship belts and many other things, but he doesn’t care about all these. All he wants and cares for is to regain his heavyweight titles and anybody that wants to doubt him is doing so at his peril.”

He said Joshua decided to make a statement by agreeing to fight Jermaine Franklin, who many believe is a dangerous customer, adding that the fact that his opponent was adjudged by many to have beaten Dillian Whyte in November testifies to the American’s ability.
“This shows that Joshua wants to prove a point and I am telling you that he is coming back with vengeance.”

Joshua is billed to fight American heavyweight, Franklin, on April 1 at the O2 Arena.

Franklin is a fighter, who got into boxing to stop getting into trouble, developed his skills by watching Lennox Lewis, took two years out of the ring due to bankruptcy and fought Dillian Whyte.

The American boxer has a professional record of 21 wins, 1 loses and 0 draws. He had also knocked out 14 of his 21 opponents.