AfriPulse
Unbeaten Nigerian-born British heavyweight sensation Moses Itauma has ignited serious world title talk after producing another destructive finish, knocking out Jermaine Franklin inside five rounds on Saturday, March 29, in Manchester.
Moses Itauma, 21, knocked out the previously undropped American with a savage uppercut in the fifth round that ended the fight instantly, forcing the referee to wave it off before Franklin even hit the canvas.
The performance sent shockwaves through the heavyweight division. Gustavo Olivieri confirmed afterwards he will recommend Itauma as a mandatory challenger for the WBO heavyweight title, currently due to be contested by Fabio Wardley and Daniel Dubois on 9 May.
Franklin arrived with a reputation for durability after going the distance with Anthony Joshua and pushing Dillian Whyte to a controversial decision in 2022. He was heavier than Itauma and walked into a hostile atmosphere from fans eager to watch the man many see as the heir to Mike Tyson.
Itauma set the tone from the opening bell, snapping jabs upstairs and digging straight lefts into the body. Franklin responded bravely, firing back with jabs and right hands and even sticking his tongue out after being clipped.
A sharp right hook dropped the American in round three, but he beat the count and fought on, surviving another punishing fourth round.
The finish arrived early in the fifth. A right hook barely slowed Franklin, but a perfectly timed Tyson-style uppercut ended the contest on the spot.
Promoter Frank Warren immediately raised the stakes by calling for a showdown with undisputed champion Oleksandr Usyk at Wembley Stadium.
“Don’t you think we’d sell out Wembley Stadium if Moses Itauma fought Usyk there? We’d fill it five or six times over right now,” Warren said. “I really think that fight should happen, and it could be ordered. Itauma is something special. At this point, he is the best of anyone I’ve ever come across in the heavyweight division, without any doubt.”
Itauma remained calm despite the growing hype.
“Usyk has earned the right to do whatever he wants. There’s a hierarchy that I obviously have to respect. I don’t pay attention to it. I really don’t care what other heavyweights think or feel. I know the truth, and I know what I’m capable of. I just have to go out there and show it,” he said.
The knockout win marked Itauma’s 14th professional knockout.
Source: Naijanews.com | Read the Full Story…
