Former two-time heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua (24-3, 22KOs) returns to action this April 1st at the O2 Arena, London, against heavyweight contender Jermaine Franklin (21-1, 14KOs). Joshua has made changes to his camp with the new arrival of Derrick James as his trainer as he boxes in a non-title for the first time in many a year.
Franklin, however, is a potential banana skin for Joshua. Franklin lost a narrow points decision to Dillian Whyte, with some commentators, pundits and the wider boxing public believing the American had done enough to win.
If successful this upcoming Saturday, Joshua will seek to return and tempt some of the division’s names into the ring and has already set his sights on two potential opponents.
Speaking to Dan Rafael on the “Big Fight Weekend”, Joshua feels he is still proving himself, and although world titles are important to him, he would also like to fight the higher profile fighters in the heavyweight division.
One of the names he mentioned is former WBC world heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder, who recently returned to boxing in October year following his trilogy defeat to Tyson Fury. Wilder defeated Robert Helenius courtesy of a first-round knockout. Joshua feels a fight with Wilder is more realistic than an all-British affair with Tyson Fury.
Joshua had a run-in with Fury last year when the pair failed to make a fight happen after very public negotiations.
The second name mentioned by Joshua is a British rival in the shape of Joe Joyce, the WBO’s number-one ranked contender. Joyce and Joshua have a history together following a 2011 amateur contest in which Joshua claimed a first-round knockout. However, that was twelve years ago, and much has changed since that particular point.
“There’s another fight that I’m looking at – Joe Joyce, as well.”