Copyright Yardbarker
Moses Itauma vs. Jermaine Franklin will headline in Manchester, UK, on January 24 to mark Frank Warren’s 45 years in boxing. Itauma enters into the fight with a first-round knockout victory over Dillian Whyte in August. The WBA had mandated Moses to face their regular champion Kubrat Pulev. Pulev reportedly opted instead to pursue a bout with Murat Gassiev. Franklin, meanwhile, enters the clash on a three-fight winning streak following his September victory over Ivan Dychko. This was the perfect response after losses to Dillian Whyte and Anthony Joshua, respectively. Pre-Fight “We are thrilled to be delivering such a strong Magnificent 7 [card] for the fans in our first UK show of 2026. It is a statement of intent for the New Year and a sign of things to come. This show will also effectively celebrate my 45th year in the professional business and I believe this card certainly does justice to the occasion and I am very happy to have our heavyweight prodigy Moses topping the bill in another perfect test of his unquestionable credentials against a very tough American in Jermaine Franklin,” Warren said The Approach Itauma’s approach will be centered on his superior speed, longer reach, and accuracy. Itauma will look to employ his jab to maintain distance, range, and disrupt Franklin’s forward movement. His goal will be to utilize his lateral movement to avoid the ropes and set up his straight left hand (as he is a southpaw) or powerful right hook. Franklin’s best path to victory lies in his durability, high work rate, and forward pressure. Franklin must disregard Itauma’s power and treat the initial rounds as an investment. Franklin will look to clinch frequently and use his physical strength to lean on the younger fighter. Franklin may use short hooks and uppercuts to the body and head, avoiding the long-range power that Itauma favors. If Franklin can drag the fight past the middle rounds, he can capitalize on Itauma’s relative inexperience in deep waters. Full Card Moses Itauma (13-0, 11 KOs) vs Jermain Franklin (24-2, 15 KOs) – Heavyweights Willy Hutchinson (19-2, 14 KOs) vs Ezra Taylor (13-0, 9 KOs) – Light Heavyweights Zak Miller (17-1, 3 KOs) vs Liam Davies (17-1, 8 KOs) – British & Commonwealth Featherweight Titles Shakiel Thompson (15-0, 11 KOs) vs Brad Pauls (20-2-1, 11 KOs) – WBO Global Middleweight Title Nathan Heaney (19-1-1, 6 KOs) vs Gerome Warburton (16-2-2, 2 KOs) – Middleweights Alex Murphy (14-2) vs Josh Holmes (17-0, 6 KOs) – Lightweights (English Title) Aqib Fiaz (14-1, 2 KOs) vs Jordan Flynn (12-1-1, 2 KOs) – Lightweights
