MANCHESTER, England – British heavyweight star Moses Itauma said his fight against Jermaine Franklin Jr. will be the “final piece of the puzzle” as his goal is to answer the questions his fans are asking him and aim to fight for the world title.
Itauma (13-0, 11 KO) wants to gain rounds and valuable experience in Saturday’s match against Franklin (24-2, 15 KO) in Manchester [10 p.m. DAZN]. The American’s only two defeats were points against Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte.
Itauma has not advanced beyond Round 2 in his last nine fights and has gone just 26 rounds as a professional, with his last victory coming in a Round 1 stoppage against Whyte in August.
Although some injuries and difficulty finding opponents willing to fight against him meant a seven-month exile from the ring, one can hope that Itauma, who was widely regarded as heavyweight greatness, will be able to make strides towards a world title shot this year.
But he admits he faces a tough challenge this week against a determined Franklin.
“They [media] ask me about other heavyweights, I have a sedate opponent in Jermaine Franklin,” Itauma said at a press conference in Manchester.
“We’ve been asking for this fight for a year and a half. Now we have it, I feel like it’s the final piece of the puzzle. There are questions my team wants to know about me, questions I want to know about myself, and there are a lot of questions the fans want to know about me too.”
“I feel like Jermaine Franklin is the last piece of the puzzle. When I get questions about the others [fights] It won’t happen if I don’t beat Jermaine Franklin.”
The 21-year-old’s explosive start to his career prompted comparisons to a newborn Mike Tyson. However, his ability to win fights early also raised questions about how he would perform in later rounds, high-pressure moments and tough punches after landing.
Promoter Frank Warren said he can’t wait to see what his newborn protégé can do.
“This Saturday’s fight is a very significant moment [Itauma’s] career. Jermaine is highly respected in the industry. He’s been there and done it. Wealthy experience. He will ask Moses some questions,” Warren said.
“Moses knows what he has in front of him… He needs to show that he is not a one-trick pony and has other attributes in his locker. Can he box as well as punch? I believe he can do it.”
“I think this is the hardest test for Moses in his history.”