Moses Itauma continued his impressive rise in the heavyweight division on Saturday, knocking out Jermaine Franklin in the fifth round at the Co-op Live arena in Manchester. The 21-year-old British prospect improved his professional record to 14-0, with 12 of those wins coming by way of stoppage.
Itauma became the first boxer to stop Franklin, who had previously been defeated only by Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte, both of whom went the distance with the American. The bout saw Itauma drop Franklin in the third round with a short right hand to the top of the head, before finishing him in the fifth with a rear uppercut followed by a right hand.
Franklin, 32, showed resilience by recovering from the first knockdown and increasing his offensive output in the fourth round. However, Itauma's power proved too much in the fifth, as he froze Franklin with an uppercut and then dropped him again to prompt the referee's intervention.
Promoter Frank Warren is now considering Itauma's next steps, with potential opponents including the winner of the upcoming Wardley vs Dubois fight or the victor of Justis Huni vs Frazer Clarke, scheduled for 11 April. Warren has indicated he would like to keep Itauma active, possibly returning to the ring this summer.
