Moses Itauma delivered a powerful message to the heavyweight division by defeating Jermaine Franklin decisively. Itauma, who boasts a professional record of stopping 12 out of 14 opponents, achieved what Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte couldn’t by halting Franklin before the fifth round, surpassing his own previous professional record.
At 21 years old, Itauma managed to knock down Franklin in the third round and expressed his satisfaction, stating that he accomplished something that previous British heavyweights, who went on to achieve greatness, did not. Despite attempting early knockouts in the first and second rounds, Itauma adjusted his strategy, focused on body shots, and eventually secured the knockout victory.
Throughout the fight, Itauma displayed dominance by tactfully pursuing Franklin around the ring. His speed and precise punches troubled Franklin, who struggled to counter effectively. Itauma’s varied attacks, combining body shots with head blows, kept Franklin on the defensive, ultimately leading to a decisive knockdown in the third round.
Despite Franklin lasting until the fifth round, Itauma remained composed and continued to outclass his opponent. In a swift turn of events, Itauma landed a powerful left uppercut followed by a right hand, sending Franklin crashing to the canvas and sealing the victory.
In other bouts on the undercard, Willy Hutchinson secured a victory over Ezra Taylor, Nathan Heaney suffered a defeat against Gerome Warburton, and Brad Pauls caused a major upset by defeating the previously unbeaten Shakiel Thompson. Pauls, who had a limited fight history since his loss to Denzel Bentley, staged an impressive comeback to claim victory over Thompson in the ninth round.