Moses Itauma sustained an injury in camp (a grade 2 tear to the bicep) in January which forced a postponement. The fight and the undercard takes place on 28th March in Manchester's Co-Op Live Arena.  

Editorial: The Boxing App Notes

Jermaine Franklin Jr is durable, experienced, and has never been stopped. At 6'2" Franklin is the same height as Andy Ruiz, another fringe heavyweight with underrated fundamentals and an underwhelming aesthetic who has led many casual observers to write him off. As a 10/1 underdog, he is also the same odds that Ruiz was before derailing the AJ roadshow at Madison Square Garden in 2019.

Whether or not Franklin has the potential to cause an upset remains to be seen, but this contest provides a lot more intrigue than any of Itauma's previous outings. In Franklin's two defeats he went the distance with Anthony Joshua (2023) and Dillian Whyte (2022). He tends to box at a steady pace and can struggle against speed and pressure. But despite accusations that his stamina will not be sufficient to take this contest deep, he represents a genuine test for Itauma.

His most recent fight was an upset win over Ivan Dychko in September. Franklin's father had died shortly before the bout and Dychko saw support in the betting in the build-up. Dychko was ahead on the cards at the half-way point before Franklin rallied to pick up a controversial 10-round UD.

While nobody would describe Franklin as a buzz-saw type of fighter, having recently turned 32 he is now in his absolute (and relative) prime years as a heavyweight. There is a certain, undeniable "journeyman" style about him that lends itself to taking fights long. That might just be the entire purpose of this next stage of Itauma's orchestrated parade to the heavyweight title. To date, Itauma has been taken the distance twice, both 6-round affairs in fights 3 and 4 of his 13-fight career; two years before he became the heir-apparent to become "the face of boxing".

Moses will have learnt next-to-nothing in his most recent blowout win in August against the one-foot-in-retirement Whyte and if anything, that misleading win might have done more harm than good for the prospect. At this stage, the most-hyped heavyweight on the planet will certainly be learning more in camp than he is under the lights on fight night. That might be about to change once they get underway at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester.

Itauma brings decent hand speed, sharp combinations from his southpaw stance, and has a higher offensive output, alongside growing physical strength and presence. While he is widely tipped to go on to achieve greatness in the sport, he is still unproven. During the early rounds Franklin has the tools to remain competitive, but Itauma’s volume and accuracy is likely to break Franklin down eventually.

With several books in the UK offering a whopping 33/1 about a Franklin decision, that might be a fun bet to play with, even if he ends up going the same way as 85% Itauma's previous opponents.

However, this seems more likely: Itauma to win via stoppage in the second half of the fight, or a clear unanimous decision after controlling most of the 10 rounds, with the pundits (and head-trainer Ben Davison) all agreeing that getting in some rounds in a drawn-out affair is exactly what he wants at this stage of the learning process.

The referee is likely to want to get this contest over at the first sign of trouble, and it will not be surprising to see Franklin stopped on his feet, before complaining that it was premature and calling for a rematch (that he will not get).

Will Itauma get Franklin out of there within 6 rounds as most are expecting? We don't think so →

Our Pick: In The SharpBetting Line, back "All Other Results" at 1.9 decimal odds (9/10 fractional odds; -111 US Odds). All Other Results includes Itauma winning after the 6th and on points, as well as the Franklin win, and the draw. Link to bet below. [25-Mar-2026]

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•   Will Itauma get Franklin out of there within 6 rounds? We don't think so → Pick: All Other Results at 1.9 decimal odds (9/10 fractional odds;  -111 US Odds).

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