British boxing prodigy Moses Itauma will return to the ring on January 24, at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester. His opponent will be American heavyweight Jermaine Franklin, who previously shared the ring with well-known British fighters Dillian Whyte and Anthony Joshua, losing to both by decision.
Itauma heads into this bout after a relatively quiet 2025 in terms of activity. The 20-year-old, of Slovak descent, has fought just three rounds in an entire year, demolishing Mike Balogun in two and stopping the aforementioned Dillian Whyte in less than one. Those who believe in his talent hope his fighting frequency will increase significantly in the near future.
Franklin, for his part, is enjoying a good run, having scored three consecutive victories, two of which came against previously unbeaten opponents. His latest win was particularly impressive, as it came against Kazakh fighter Ivan Dychko, a former top amateur who had knocked out 14 of his previous 15 rivals.
Choosing Franklin appears to be a smart move, allowing Itauma to take another step forward in his development without excessive risk. The American doesn’t possess particularly frightening power, but he has shown remarkable toughness throughout his career, meaning he could push Itauma into a longer fight than usual.
The British prospect, after all, has never gone past the sixth round since turning professional — a fact that likely makes his handlers cautious about matching him too soon with world-level opposition.
If Itauma dispatches Franklin with the same ease he’s shown against his recent opponents, we might truly be looking at a potential superstar.