Franklin will need to answer some tough questions - Itauma
The boxing community is captivated by Moses Itauma.
At just 21 years old, the British heavyweight is already being recognized as a potential future global champion in the sport's most high-profile division.
Itauma is currently on a nine-fight knockout streak, with each victory concluding within the first two rounds. Last summer, he defeated a declining Dillian Whyte in just 61 seconds in Saudi Arabia.
Despite the widespread acclaim and rapid finishes, the Chatham-based fighter desires more than just swift victories.
"It just went so fast," recalls Itauma, who has 11 knockouts in 13 professional wins. "When I got to the changing room, I was a little bit underwhelmed.
"In training camp for 14 weeks, for the fight to go two minutes, it's a bit underwhelming, because it's like, did I have to train all that?"
Itauma is set to face American Jermaine Franklin at Manchester's Co-op Live Arena on Saturday. This time, he is eager to experience longer bouts.
Speaking with , the heavyweight reflects on his three-year professional career, the sacrifices made by his family, and why he considers Franklin his most challenging opponent to date.
Moses Itauma v Jermaine Franklin
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Family first - Team GB snub & bittersweet debut
Watch: Moses Itauma's top five knockouts
Itauma's professional career has been brief but intense. He has fought just 26 rounds in total, many of which ended prematurely.
He demolished Marcel Bode in only 23 seconds during his debut in January 2023 at Wembley Arena. However, similar to his fight with Whyte, the quick conclusion brought little satisfaction.
"I didn't care," he reflects. "My brother suffered his first loss, literally a couple of minutes before. To be honest, I didn't even want to fight that day."
Family is central to Itauma's story. His brother, light-heavyweight Karol Itauma, supports him behind the scenes during fight preparations. Their bond was strengthened through a 1,050-mile move from Kezmarok, near Slovakia's Tatra Mountains, to Chatham in Kent.
Born to a Slovak mother and Nigerian father, their early life was marked by experiences of racism and a search for belonging.
"Me and my brothers, we don't look very Slovak, and that kind of limited opportunities that we can have in that country," says Itauma.
"My mum was like, they're probably going to have more opportunities and a better upbringing if they move to a country where people of mixed-race backgrounds are more common."
These sacrifices influenced every decision Itauma made. He began boxing at nine but only committed seriously at 14.
"My mum sacrificed a lot coming over to the UK," he says. "I need to kind of make it. So, yeah, it's difficult, but I'm happy that my mum made the decisions and obviously I'm following through."
This "family first" approach also led him to bypass the Olympic path with Team GB, opting instead to sign with Frank Warren's Queensberry Promotions.
"The short and sweet of it was that my family needed the money," he adds.
Can Itauma do better than AJ against 'tough cookie' Franklin?
His career has not been without challenges. In his third and fourth fights, Itauma was taken the full six rounds by journeymen Kostiantyn Dovbyshchenko and Kevin Nicolas Espindola.
These bouts served as a reality check. Initially, Itauma aimed to become a world champion by age 20, but these tough fights moderated his expectations.
"I kind of hit a barrier where I don't think I was learning anymore. So would I say I learned from those fights? Yes, but kind of to not wait for something to break to fix it."
Taking responsibility for his development, he partnered with trainer Ben Davison. Since then, Itauma has progressed significantly.
His subsequent knockout streak has propelled him into early discussions about world titles. While his victories over Demsey McKean and Whyte were notable, many believe Itauma still needs to demonstrate his ability to compete at the highest level.
He remains undefeated as both an amateur and professional, and his resilience has rarely been tested.
Franklin is the opponent chosen to challenge him. The 32-year-old from Michigan is described by Itauma as a "tough cookie," never having been stopped and only losing on points to Dillian Whyte and Anthony Joshua.
"We can agree that Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte are big punchers, right?" asks Itauma.
"Everybody's saying that I haven't seen the distance because I'm such a big puncher, right? So Jermaine Franklin's about to answer some questions."
While public discussions focus on world titles, Itauma acknowledges the different levels within heavyweight boxing and is eager to climb them step by step.
The transition from contender to world champion can be significant, and Itauma prefers to face an opponent who can bridge that gap rather than immediately challenge a reigning champion.
He has already set his sights on Croatia's Filip Hrgovic, who recently secured wins over Britons Joe Joyce and David Adeleye after losing to Daniel Dubois for the interim IBF heavyweight title two years ago.
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