The heavyweight division is buzzing at the moment.
Alive and well, just like boxing. Moses Itauma of the UK is a big part of that.
He is on the rise and could fight for a title shot soon even at his young age.
Next up however he has Jermaine Franklin to come through and that is not an easy test.
Speaking to Talk Sport Itauma said:
‘No, that’s why I feel like it’s a very tough fight for me. It’s nice to hear people saying they think I’m going to knock him out in the first or second round, but I’ve still got to work hard for something that everybody says so casually. The best thing known about Jermaine Franklin is that he can take people the distance and still give back. So that’s the only question mark in my career right now – everybody’s asking about my chin and what I’m going to be like in the later rounds. I believe Jermaine Franklin is going to answer some of those questions. If he can’t, then I’m a product of my own success – or a victim of my own success. Either way, I just think this is the perfect fight for me.”
That is a good mentality to have from him as always. He comes across as focused as always keep distractions out of the way.
No distractions to his work can happen for him this year. He knows that.
Vicious knockouts is the name of the game. Plain and simple.
For those not familiar with his next opponent Jermain Franklin on March 28th next month, some background:
- He was born on October 21, 1993, in Saginaw, Michigan, USA, making him 32 years old as of February 2026.
- Franklin stands at 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) or sometimes listed as 6 ft 3 in (191 cm), with a reach of 77 inches (196 cm), fighting in an orthodox stance.
- He turned professional in April 2015 and has a current record of 24 wins, 2 losses, and 0 draws, with 15 of those wins coming by knockout (KO ratio around 62-63%).
- His two losses were high-profile: one to Anthony Joshua in 2023 (majority decision) and one to Dillian Whyte in 2022 (unanimous decision), both in world-title eliminators or big fights.
- Franklin is known for his durable chin—he’s never been stopped in his career—and his ability to go the distance, often taking opponents deep into fights.
- He hails from Michigan (area code 989, hence the nickname) and started boxing at age 13 after getting into fights in school, encouraged by his stepfather.Notable recent wins include a unanimous decision over Ivan Dychko in 2025 and other victories that have him on a 3-fight winning streak.
- His next fight is scheduled against undefeated prospect Moses Itauma on March 28, 2026, at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester, UK (originally set for January but postponed due to Itauma’s injury); it will stream on DAZN.Franklin has no major world titles yet but has challenged top heavyweights and is seen as a solid gatekeeper or contender in the division.
- He’s praised for his slick, pressure-fighting style and resilience, though critics note he can be outworked against elite opponents.
Itauma’s rise will not be stopped and has shown his easy success thus far is a testament to his training, his improvements fight to fight and more to come next month.
