There was no shortage of anticipation at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester on March 28, 2026, as the boxing world watched Moses Itauma, the 21-year-old sensation from Chatham, Kent, take on the seasoned American Jermaine Franklin. The stakes were high, the questions many: Could Itauma, with just 13 professional fights to his name before the bout, really be on the fast track to a world heavyweight title? By the end of the night, most of those questions had been answered with a resounding, thunderous statement.
Franklin, a fighter with a reputation for durability, had never been knocked down or stopped in his previous 26 fights. He’d gone the distance with heavyweights like Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte—no small feat for any contender. But Itauma, who had bulldozed through Dillian Whyte in under two minutes just months earlier, was eager to prove that he was more than just a young prospect with a puncher’s chance. "There’s still question marks for myself. There’s questions that my team want to know about me, there’s questions that I want to know about myself and I’m sure there’s a lot of questions that the fans want to know about me as well. People are wondering if I’ve got a chin or if I can go the distance. Jermaine Franklin is known for taking people the distance and giving them tough fights. I feel like this is the final piece of the puzzle. I have a serious opponent in Jermaine Franklin. We’ve asked for this fight for about a year-and-a-half," Itauma explained before the bout.
The fight started just after 10:30 PM local time, with a packed crowd and a global audience tuning in via DAZN and BBC Radio 5 Live. From the opening bell, Itauma set the tone, showcasing his signature blend of speed and power. Franklin, to his credit, weathered the early storm, landing some telling body shots in the fourth round and demonstrating the ring savvy that had earned him respect on both sides of the Atlantic. But the tide turned dramatically near the end of round three, when Itauma landed a looping right hand to Franklin’s temple, sending the American to the canvas for the first time in his professional career.
Franklin got up, his pride and resilience on display, but the writing was on the wall. Itauma didn’t rush the finish, instead showing a maturity beyond his years as he used footwork, feints, and a measured approach to set up his next big moment. "I tried to knock him out in the first or second round, trying to win some few people some dough. But I just thought, like, aaaaack, maybe not today," Itauma said with a grin after the fight. "So I went back to the basics. Go down to the body, down to the body, and then the knockout just came. So, it’s not the shots that you load up with, but it’s the shot that you don’t see."
It was in the fifth round that Itauma delivered the coup de grâce. Setting up his opportunity with hard hooks and body shots, he caught Franklin with a solid right hook that momentarily froze the American. In a flash, Itauma unleashed a perfectly-timed uppercut—described by onlookers as the "uppercut from hell"—followed by another right hook that left Franklin sprawled face down on the canvas. The arena erupted. Franklin was down for a long 20 seconds before rising unaided, a testament to his toughness, but the referee had seen enough.
Franklin’s corner protested the stoppage, but few could argue with the outcome. Itauma had done what neither Joshua nor Whyte could: he stopped Jermaine Franklin, and he did so in style. The win improved Itauma’s record to 14-0, with 12 knockouts, and he successfully defended both his WBA International heavyweight belt and WBO Inter-continental championship. The performance silenced many doubters and put the division on notice.
"I’ve enjoyed my stay in Manchester. This is actually where I won my first-ever national title. Seven years later, I’m picking up a win against Jermaine Franklin. I’ve done something that other British heavyweights who have gone on to achieve great things didn’t do. I’ve got to give thanks to the Most High, and I’ve got to thank Jermaine Franklin as well for giving me this opportunity, because it takes two to tango, so I appreciate it, man," Itauma reflected, his satisfaction clear for all to see.
Promoter Frank Warren was quick to heap praise on his young charge and stoke the fires of anticipation for what comes next. "Don’t worry, it’ll be a big, big fight, because he’s a big, big fighter. You know, so exciting for a very, very tough guy, very tough guy, broke him down and did what nobody else has been able to do. You stop him," Warren declared, promising a return bout in July 2026 against a "world-class" opponent.
The conversation quickly turned to potential next steps. Itauma, ranked number one in both the WBO and WBA heavyweight rankings, has made no secret of his ambition. He expressed interest in fighting Filip Hrgovic, who is scheduled to face Dave Allen. "If I’m being completely honest, I wanted the Hrgovic fight," Itauma admitted. "But he’s fighting Dave Allen. I don’t know. We’ll go back to the drawing board and see who’s there. We’ll be back soon."
Meanwhile, the heavyweight landscape remains crowded and compelling. Fabio Wardley, Itauma’s stablemate and the holder of the WBO belt, was ringside and is set to defend his title against Daniel Dubois at the same Manchester venue on May 9. Wardley, while acknowledging Itauma’s rapid ascent, made it clear that a clash between the two is not imminent. "Right now, we’re in different places. He’s looking where I am currently. I’m looking at Oleksandr Usyk. There’s a gap, only due to time and experience. There are four belts. There’s two of us. The only time this becomes a serious conversation is – he has two belts, I have two belts," said Wardley. He even suggested the possibility of a "Klitschko brothers" situation, where two top fighters in the same camp might never meet unless all the titles are on the line.
Speaking of titles, unified world heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk is expected to face his mandatory challenger, Agit Kabayel, after his scheduled bout with kickboxer Rico Verhoeven in June 2026. Warren hinted that if Usyk fails to meet his obligations, titles could become vacant—opening the door for fighters like Itauma to step into the world championship picture sooner rather than later.
For now, Moses Itauma stands as the breakout star of the heavyweight division, a young man who has answered every challenge with style and substance. As the dust settles in Manchester, all eyes are fixed on his next move. The heavyweight division, already rich with talent and intrigue, just got a whole lot more interesting.