Moses Itauma does not believe in long nights, and American Jermaine Franklin is set to find that out the hard way in Manchester this evening (Saturday March 28, live on DAZN).
The brilliantly talented 21-year-old from Chatham in Kent has roared to a 13-0 record as a professional with 11 of those victories coming by way of knockout.
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The young man they call ‘Enriko’ is very much on course for a world heavyweight title shot now, and an impressive win here could see him in the reckoning to fight for a belt before the end of 2026.
The 32-year-old Franklin is in theory a tough test for the British phenom, but we have said that before. Can he succeed where so many others have failed?
Odds & Analysis
Franklin’s reputation here comes almost entirely from two fights – back-to-back trips to London to face Dillian Whyte and Anthony Joshua in late 2022 and early 2023.
On both occasions Jermaine survived the 12 rounds to go to the scorecards, losing a majority decision to Whyte and a UD to AJ. But while on the face of it those performances look impressive, we need to look at the wider context.
Both Whyte and AJ were at career crossroads going into those fights and both were coming off losses – Whyte to Tyson Fury and Joshua by way of back-to-back defeats to Oleksandr Usyk. You can easily argue that neither man was at the peak of his powers, and arguably more vulnerable than ever.
Great on paper, maybe not quite as formidable in reality – that would be our verdict on Jermaine’s trips to the UK so far. And tonight he faces a very very different threat.
Itauma has been absolutely unstoppable so far, and he seems to just get better and better. His last outing – a one-round demolition job on the aforementioned Whyte in Saudi Arabia last August – was absolutely chilling.
Moses has devastating speed and power and a ring IQ which is way beyond his tender age. He looks the complete package, arguably the best young heavyweight since Mike Tyson struck fear into opponents back in the 1980s.
Predictions
Opponents talk a great fight before stepping through the ropes to meet Itauma, but things change very quickly once the bell sounds.
Nobody yet has been able to live with the incredible mix of speed and power Itauma possesses, and there is a reason all of his 11 stoppages have come inside the first two rounds. He is also unerringly accurate and adept at waging war of both front and back foot. Put simply, he can destroy you in any manner you wish. Sit back and he batters you, attack and he catches you with devastating counters.
We expect another early night for ‘Enriko’ and the 22/5 available to get the job done in Rounds 1-2 looks very tasty. Yes please.
Moses Itauma to beat Jermaine Franklin in Rounds 1-2 at 22/5 (VirginBet, BetMGM).
Moses Itauma record so far
Itauma’s 13-0 record, as we said, includes 11 wins inside the first two rounds. Here are the full details:
| No. | Opponent | Result / Type (Round) | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | Dillian Whyte | Win (TKO, R1) | 16 Aug 2025 |
| 12 | Mike Balogun | Win (TKO, R2) | 24 May 2025 |
| 11 | Demsey McKean | Win (TKO, R1) | 21 Dec 2024 |
| 10 | Mariusz Wach | Win (TKO, R2) | 27 Jul 2024 |
| 9 | Ilja Mezencev | Win (TKO, R2) | 18 May 2024 |
| 8 | Dan Garber | Win (TKO, R1) | 22 Mar 2024 |
| 7 | Michal Boloz | Win (TKO, R1) | 1 Dec 2023 |
| 6 | István Bernáth | Win (TKO, R1) | 28 Oct 2023 |
| 5 | Amine Boucetta | Win (TKO, R1) | 23 Sep 2023 |
| 4 | Kevin Nicolas Espindola | Win (PTS, 6R) | 29 Jul 2023 |
| 3 | Kostiantyn Dovbyshchenko | Win (PTS, 6R) | 15 Apr 2023 |
| 2 | Ramon Alberto Ibarra | Win (KO, R1) | 25 Mar 2023 |
| 1 | Marcel Bode | Win (KO, R1) | 28 Jan 2023 |
Ring walks and UK live stream
Ring walks for Itauma vs Franklin are expected to take place just after 10pm local time in Manchester, England. That is 6pm ET in the US or 3pm PT on the West Coast.
The bout will be streamed live by DAZN in both the UK and US.
