Tomorrow night at the Co-op Live Arena, highly promising 21-year-old Moses Itauma will face what on paper appears to be the toughest test of his career as he takes on American Jermaine Franklin Jr. live on DAZN. The British heavyweight’s explosive power will be tested against the proven durability of an opponent who has never been stopped.
Based on what he has shown so far, Itauma is not the easiest fighter to fully evaluate, as the vast majority of his bouts have ended very quickly. The young prospect has gone the distance only twice, early in his career, in six-round contests. In his last nine appearances, he has always finished the job before the start of the third round.
This tendency for early knockouts has inevitably generated great expectations, but it has also prevented observers from forming a complete picture of his potential, as it remains impossible, based on what we have seen so far, to assess his punch resistance, his ability to endure adversity, and his stamina.
Franklin has been carefully selected to allow Itauma to go a few more rounds than usual. The American fighter possesses a solid chin, which is why he is expected to remain on his feet at least until the midway point of the fight.
Franklin’s ability to absorb heavy shots was particularly evident in his 2023 bout against Anthony Joshua, a fight that proved highly competitive and balanced over the first four rounds before Joshua found the right tactical key to build a significant lead on the scorecards.
The American is a natural counterpuncher, with fairly quick hands, more comfortable when being attacked than when forced to take the initiative. His conditioning has been somewhat inconsistent throughout his career, as shown by the significant fluctuations in his weigh-ins.
The dynamics of tomorrow’s fight could be influenced by how seriously Franklin has prepared for this bout. If he steps into the ring in top condition and Itauma dismantles him with ease, we could truly be looking at a future great champion—but it is best to wait for the ring’s verdict before jumping to conclusions.