Moses Itauma hopes to take his next step towards a world heavyweight title this weekend, as he fights Jermaine Franklin in Manchester.
Itauma is seen as one of Britain’s top prospects in boxing, with the 21-year-old having already built a 13-0 professional record including 11 knockouts.
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Last time out, he made remarkably short work of Dillian Whyte, stopping the veteran in just 119 seconds in Saudi Arabia. But the Kent youngster is back on home soil this weekend, taking on an American opponent in Manchester.
Moses Itauma (left) and Jermaine Franklin at a launch press conference for their fight (Getty Images)
Franklin (24-2, 15 KOs) actually has his own history with Whyte, having lost a controversial decision to the Briton in 2022 before losing to Anthony Joshua on points in 2023. Yet those defeats are the only losses of the 32-year-old’s career, and he is seen as a sensible test for Itauma, whose injury in January forced this bout to be pushed back by two months.
Here’s all you need to know.
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When is the fight?
Itauma vs Franklin will take place on Saturday 28 March at the Co-op Live arena in Manchester. The main card is due to begin at 5pm BST (10am PT / 12pm CT / 1pm ET), with main-event ring walks expected at 11pm BST (4pm PT / 6pm CT / 7pm ET).
How can I watch it?
The event will stream live exclusively on DAZN worldwide. You can purchase a DAZN subscription here, with plans starting at £15.99 per month.
Odds
Itauma – 1/20
Franklin – 10/1
Draw – 20/1
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Fight card in full
Subject to change
Itauma made short work of Dillian Whyte in August (Getty Images)
Moses Itauma vs Jermaine Franklin (heavyweight)
Nathan Heaney vs Gerome Warburton (middleweight)
Ezra Taylor vs Willy Hutchinson (light-heavyweight)
Shakiel Thompson vs Brad Pauls (middleweight)
Liam Davies vs Francesco Grandelli (featherweight)
Alex Murphy vs Josh Holmes (lightweight)
Michael Gomez Jr vs Jordan Flynn (lightweight)
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