Eddie Hearn tells Jermaine Franklin how to earn Anthony Joshua fight

Eddie Hearn would love to make Anthony Joshua vs. Jermaine Franklin if the unbeaten American defeats Dillian Whyte on Saturday night.

Whyte and Franklin fight live on DAZN in London and while Hearn has cautioned that a defeat for the 34-year-old Briton would harm his career prospects for the future, the American could strike the big time.

Hearn and Joshua are looking for the right opponent for the former champion’s comeback, and speaking to iD Boxing, the Matchroom promoter suggested that Franklin would make an excellent proposition for Joshua’s next fight, expected in the first few months of 2023.

Joshua last fought against Oleksandr Usyk, failing to win back the IBF, WBA and WBO belts in a rematch in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

When asked if he would be keen to the pair should Franklin defeat Whyre, Hearn was clear, saying: “I would want to make that fight immediately. You’ve got an unbeaten American, who would be 22 and 0. It’s a perfect fight for the UK market. 

“It’s a big fight for AJ to come back, but for Jermaine Franklin all of a sudden he’s problem... Say he were to knock out Dillian Whyte, he’s a real threat to the world division, so I think it’s going to be really interesting.”