George Groves is confident he knows what will happen when Moses Itauma takes on Jermaine Franklin tonight.
This is another solid test for Itauma, who has proven to be one of the most exciting new heavyweights in the division. Although he is just 21 years old, he has already shown great hand speed and knockout ability in his 13 contests so far.
Only two men have survived in the ring with him beyond round two, with 11 falling inside the first six minutes. Last time out was his most significant win to date when he stopped former world title challenger Dillian Whyte in the first round.
Franklin is a different test and has gone 12 rounds in the UK before, first with Whyte, and then with Anthony Joshua. Speaking to Fruity King, however, former world champion Groves predicted a short night’s work for Itauma.
“Itauma vs. Franklin? This’ll be a blowout. This will last a couple of rounds. I’ve watched Franklin, and he’s got a good record. He’s boxed a lot of fighters with winning records and he’s only had two losses, which were Dillian Whyte and Anthony Joshua. And he went the distance.
“Franklin’s never been stopped, never been dropped. Don’t even think he’s ever been hurt. But he’s nowhere near quick enough to evade Itauma’s shots. Itauma’s fast with his hands, fast with his feet, he’s accurate, and once he has landed, he sets his feet and punches hard.
“He’s got exquisite timing. He’s the full package at the moment. We hope for some rounds, we hope for something, but at best, this guy can just survive. I can’t see him testing Moses at all.”
Should Itauma get another win, he will likely look ahead to fights with the WBA regular ruler Murat Gassiev, if not the winner of the WBO fight between Fabio Wardley and Daniel Dubois.
