Eddie Hearn admits being nervous ahead of Anthony Joshua's return bout

Although Eddie Hearn, Anthony Joshua's promoter, confesses he is "nervous" before the heavyweight's crucial return on April 1, Anthony Joshua has never put in more work in a training camp.

Next month at the O2 Arena in London, two-time world champion Anthony Joshua will face 21-1 Jermaine Franklin in an effort to avenge consecutive losses to Oleksandr Usyk.

Joshua will be making his professional debut against Derrick James, and Hearn thinks the pairing has led to the Londoner's most demanding training camp in the past ten years.

Joshua's future, however, is at stake against Franklin, whose most recent contest was a contentious majority decision loss to Dillian Whyte in November, a contest that many believed the Michigan native had won.

This week, Hearn paid a visit to Joshua at his training facility in Texas and said, "AJ's looking good but I'm nervous.

“People are saying this is a straightforward fight for Anthony Joshua but it’s not at all.

“Let’s look at the facts, he’s coming off two defeats to the pound-for-pound No.1 Oleksandr Usyk but you saw the emotional side to AJ in the last performance and after the fight.

“Franklin is full of confidence coming off the Dillian Whyte fight and he looks all of a sudden about 20lbs lighter as well.

“This is a big moment for Anthony Joshua’s career, people are talking about fights against Deontay Wilder, Whyte, Fury but he has to win on April 1.

“Franklin is a good fighter who is going to come well equipped but AJ has worked himself hard out there in humble, humble surroundings.

“This is just him, Derrick James and Erroll Spence. Just hard work. I think this is the hardest he’s ever worked in camp and I really hope that he can produce the performance that he deserves on April 1 because I believe he’s still in his prime.

“But he has to beat Jermaine Franklin.”