Itauma’s Bout With Franklin Rescheduled After Injury

Moses Itauma’s fight against American Jermaine Franklin has been rescheduled for March after the British heavyweight star picked up an injury in training.

The fight, which was due to take place on 24 January at Manchester’s Co-Op Live Arena, will now take place at the same venue on 28 March.

Itauma further strengthened his credentials as one of the top contenders in the division when beating Dillian Whyte by knockout in August.

The 21-year-old is unbeaten in 13 fights while 32-year-old Franklin has 24 wins and two losses on his record.

The promoters for the bout announced in a statement on Wednesday that it has been postponed as a result of Itauma’s injury.

The statement read: “Unfortunately Moses Itauma has sustained an injury in camp and therefore the Magnificent 7 show has been re-scheduled for 28 March.

Itauma has won 11 of his 13 fights by knockout, with each of his last nine victories coming inside the distance, six of which have ended in round one.

Itauma stepped into the ring twice in 2025 and had been expected to fight on 13 December before a raft of issues delayed his return.

He had several potential opponents turn him down before the WBA ordered him to fight Bulgarian Kubrat Pulev for the WBA ‘Regular’ heavyweight title.

Pulev then announced he would be fighting Russian Murat Gassiev on 12 December and lost via a sixth-round knockout.

Itauma made his debut on the undercard of Artur Beterbiev vs. Anthony Yarde in 2023, at the Wembley Arena. He defeated Marcel Bode in his debut via knockout after just 23 seconds.

He won the vacant WBO Intercontinental heavyweight title with a second-round stoppage victory against Germany’s Ilja Mezencev on the undercard of the Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk bill in Saudi Arabia in May 2024.

He retained his title with another second-round stoppage win, this time over Polish boxer Mariusz Wach at The O2 Arena in July 2024.