Moses Itauma Demolishes Jermaine Franklin with Brutal Knockout
Moses Itauma faced what appeared, on paper at least, to be the toughest challenge of his burgeoning professional career as he stepped into the ring against American heavyweight Jermaine Franklin. The young British prospect, however, transformed that challenge into a showcase of his destructive power and technical skill, leaving Franklin lying face-first on the canvas in a sickening fifth-round knockout.
Dominant Display from the First Bell
Itauma seized control from the opening bell, patiently and methodically stalking Franklin around the ring. The Brit’s speed was immediately evident, causing significant problems for the visitor. In the first round, Itauma landed a sharp right hand to the body, following it up swiftly with a left upstairs. His jab became a ramrod in the second round, consistently finding its mark and setting the tempo for the fight.
Franklin attempted a wild response after eating another crisp one-two combination, and he did manage to check Itauma’s chin with a solid left hand. However, this proved to be a fleeting moment of resistance in an otherwise one-sided affair.
Systematic Breakdown Leads to the Finish
Itauma continued his systematic breakdown, expertly mixing a punishing left hook to Franklin’s body with the opposite shot to his temple. Franklin offered little in return and was dropped with just twenty seconds remaining in the third round from a well-timed right hook. He survived the count and saw out the round, but the writing was on the wall.
The American shipped a heavy left hook at the start of the fourth round. Itauma, showing impressive maturity, appeared in no rush to force a finish, instead continuing to beat Franklin to the punch with alarming regularity. This patience meant the fight progressed into the fifth round, marking the first time Itauma had been taken that far in his professional career.
The end, when it came, was abrupt and brutal. A thudding left hook wobbled Franklin badly, and a follow-up right hand sent him crashing to the canvas face-first. The referee waved off the contest immediately, confirming Itauma’s most impressive victory to date.
Undercard Results from the Arena
On the undercard, the eagerly anticipated clash between Willy Hutchinson and Ezra Taylor failed to ignite the expected fireworks. Nevertheless, the Scotsman Hutchinson did enough to inflict a first professional defeat on the Nottingham man, with all three judges scoring the bout in his favour. This marked Hutchinson’s second victory since his defeat to Joshua Buatsi at Wembley two years prior.
In another bout, Nathan Heaney brought his travelling army of supporters and plenty of noise to the arena, but fell flat in the ring itself. He was outpointed by the tricky Welshman Gerome Warburton, slipping to his second defeat in his last five fights. Heaney later confirmed this performance would lead to just one more fight before he hangs up his gloves for good.
The card also witnessed a stunning upset as Brad Pauls stopped the previously unbeaten Shakiel Thompson in the ninth round. Pauls, fighting just once since a defeat to world title challenger Denzel Bentley two years ago, was behind on the scorecards before dropping Thompson with a powerful right hand. Thompson rose to beat the count but was put down again shortly afterwards, forcing the referee’s intervention and sealing a remarkable comeback victory for Pauls.
