There were plenty of people inside the Co-op Live Arena on Saturday who had come to see whether Jermaine Franklin Jr. would be the man to slow Moses Itauma down. By the fifth round, they had their answer and it was not the one Franklin’s camp had hoped for.
Itauma, the 21-year-old British southpaw who has been turning heads in the heavyweight division for the better part of three years, delivered a composed and ferocious performance that ended with Franklin face-first on the canvas. The finishing blow was a clean, powerful uppercut that left little room for debate. The referee waved it off moments later, and Itauma’s unbeaten record moved to 14 wins, 12 of them by knockout.
For a fighter still in the early stages of his professional career, the manner of the victory was just as significant as the result itself.
Why Franklin was supposed to be different
Jermaine Franklin Jr. entered the fight with a professional record of 24 wins and 3 losses and a résumé that commanded real respect. He had previously gone the full distance with former two-time world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua, a performance that earned him recognition as a durable and experienced operator at the highest level.
That history made him the most credible test of Itauma’s career to date, and many observers were genuinely curious whether the younger man’s explosive style would hold up against someone with Franklin’s pedigree and chin.
The answer came early. Itauma dropped Franklin in the third round with a shot that announced his intentions clearly. Franklin survived the round, showed heart, and tried to reset but Itauma’s pressure never let him settle. By the fifth, it was over.
How the fight unfolded
The opening rounds established the dynamic that would define the night. Itauma moved with confidence and threw with intent, while Franklin worked to use his experience to control distance and timing. For stretches, it looked like Franklin’s game plan might hold.
Then came the third-round knockdown, and the fight shifted. Franklin got up, but the exchanges that followed made it clear that Itauma’s power was a problem he had no reliable answer for.
The finishing sequence in the fifth round began with Itauma backing Franklin toward the ropes before landing the uppercut flush on the chin. Franklin went down hard. As he fell, Itauma landed one final right hand that grazed him on the way to the canvas, prompting the referee to step in and halt the contest immediately.
A career built on fast finishes
What makes Itauma’s rise particularly striking is how quickly it has unfolded. He turned professional just three years ago, and his very first fight ended in a knockout that lasted 23 seconds. In the fights that followed, he continued to finish opponents at a rate that drew comparisons to some of the more feared punchers the heavyweight division has produced in recent years.
Of his first 14 professional opponents, none of the first nine made it past the second round. Franklin, to his credit, lasted five but the outcome was ultimately the same.
That consistency is what separates Itauma from the many young heavyweights who generate early buzz and then plateau. The power has not diminished as the competition has improved. If anything, Saturday night suggested it is only becoming more refined.
What comes next
With the Franklin win behind him, the conversation around Itauma is shifting from prospect to genuine contender. A world title shot, once a distant possibility, now feels like a realistic near-term destination.
The heavyweight division is in one of its more competitive and crowded phases, with established champions and a generation of ambitious younger fighters all jostling for position. Itauma’s team will have no shortage of options when it comes to selecting his next opponent and the expectation is that whoever steps across from him will need to bring something more than Franklin could.
At 21, with 14 wins and 12 knockouts, Moses Itauma is no longer just a name to watch. He is a name opponents are being asked about, and starting to dread.
