British heavyweight prospect Moses Itauma improved to 14-0 with a fifth-round knockout of American Jermaine Franklin at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester on Saturday night. The 21-year-old became the first fighter to stop Franklin, who had previously taken Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte the distance in points defeats.
Itauma dropped Franklin in the third round with a short right hook behind the ear, then finished the contest in brutal fashion in the fifth. A punishing left uppercut followed by a right hand sent Franklin crashing face-first to the canvas, prompting referee Steve Gray to wave off the bout immediately.
Speaking after the fight, Itauma described Franklin as the 'final piece of the puzzle' before a world title opportunity. 'I'd love to fight Usyk,' he told DAZN. 'There's a pecking order I need to respect – I'll wait my turn.' He also thanked the Manchester crowd, noting it was the city where he won his first national title seven years ago.
Promoter Frank Warren said Itauma would likely have one more tune-up fight before challenging for a world title later in 2026. 'He'll probably fight in July,' Warren stated. 'There's a lot of fights over the next few months, we will sort something out. I'm pretty confident he will fight for a world title this year.'
