Itauma vs Franklin Result: Believe the hype as Moses crushes Franklin

| Saturday 28th March 2026, 22:39

Saturday 28th March 2026, 22:39

Moses Itauma proved he is worthy of the considerable hyperbole he receives, by brutally stopping American contender Jermaine Franklin in five rounds. Betfred's senior boxing journalist, Joey Mills, was ringside for a heavyweight stunner.

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Headlining Europe’s largest indoor arena at the age of 21 with no Olympic medal around your neck is unheard of. But as ‘Sweet Caroline’, a song that was already 35 years old when Itauma was born, rang out around this Eastlands spaceship, the youngster was the picture of supreme focus.

If facing an opponent that only Anthony Joshua and his old rival Dillian Whyte have beaten, and neither was able to stop, was bothering the Slovakia-born Brit, he wasn’t showing it. Though one imagines the strains of Meekz, who rapped Itauma to the ring, were more the youngster’s speed than Neil Diamond.

Itauma started the first round on the front foot, because of course he did. A trio of short right hooks from his southpaw stance were as startling for their speed as they were impressive for their violent intent. Franklin already looked like he would rather be anywhere else in the world. But the unhelpful strains of ‘Wonderwall’ over the PA between rounds reminded the American of exactly which city he was in.

Franklin fired back dutifully in round two, getting away some gnarly right hands when Itauma allowed it. But the British banger was not in a giving mood, as evidenced by a left hook that had Franklin attempting to shake out the cobwebs and finding a whole tarantula inside his weary head.

Itauma then heard a sound he hasn’t since 2023; the bell to start the third round. A right hook sent the spray off Franklin before the American timed a jab nicely. An Itauma left must have deafened even those in the back row. A volley to the body had Franklin complaining. Never a good sign. Seconds later, Itauma had his man on the canvas. After rising, a thunderous right hook from Franklin earned him the right to survive the round.

Itauma approached the fourth like he found the fact Franklin was still fighting a personal insult. After all, this fight had already gone longer than the Brit’s two 2025 outings combined. Moses showed more artistry than artillery, using speed and angles rather than pronounced gunfire to make Franklin’s life unpleasant.

The fifth began with little action, until Itauma sprung into life with a pair of thudding hooks against the strands. A body left a whopping right sent Franklin’s sweat into space. But the American stood up to it and even threw back, presumably when he'd stopped seeing three of his opponent.

And then it was over. The sharp and speedy shots. The familiar sight of an opponent dropping out of sight and out of consciousness. After five rounds of action, against the finest and most durable foe he had yet faced, Itauma proved why he is the best prospect in heavyweight boxing today.

Earlier in the evening, WBO heavyweight champion Fabio Wardley and Daniel Dubois faced off ahead of their upcoming title fight at this very venue in May. A penny for their thoughts as the future of this division unleashed the left uppercut that separated Franklin from his senses. The future is now.

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Gerome Warburton out-scored Nathan Heaney over 10 rounds in the middleweight division. ‘The Breadmaker’ picked up a WBA continental title for his efforts, which purportedly will benefit Warburton in the world rankings.

These men are a touch short of that level, but they contested an intense and competitive 30 minutes of action. Warburton boxed off the back foot and, early on, it looked like that strategy would play into the hands of the popular Heaney.

With a fanatical Stoke contingent roaring Heaney on here in Manchester, the crowd favourite out-landed his man in the first three sessions. Warburton put his foot on the gas and began to out-shoot ‘The Hitman’ from round four onwards.

Heaney was left with a brutally-busted nose in the fifth and had to eat constant right-left barrages down the middle of his guard that exacerbated his blood-letting.

Warburton seemed to sense the way the wind was blowing in the second half of the fight, dictating the action with movement and sharp shots when the mood took him. Some might have found it a little negative. It is the first time I’ve seen a fighter berate a referee for getting in the way of his ring-wide dancing. But I thought Warburton sat down on enough shots to deservedly take the fight and the daft bauble on the line.

Willy Hutchinson won the battle of the world-ranked light heavyweights, scooping the WBO Global 175lb title with a unanimous decision win over undefeated Ezra Taylor. The great Scot prevailed with switch-hitting and a well-oiled defence.

‘The Hutch Train’ was aggressive at the opening bell, looking to establish supremacy with a thudding and frequent jab. Hutchinson looked comfortable throwing the punch from both the orthodox and southpaw stances. Taylor never fully adjusted to his unconventional opponent, always looking two moves behind in the ensuing chess match.

This fight was about the rapier rather than the sledgehammer. A true technical battle. In that sort of fight there are few better domestically than Hutchinson.

The promised grudge match was more cerebral than most expected. But apart from the odd wild overhand right from Taylor, ‘Hutch’ was content to counter when the big shots came. Hutchinson’s victory fortifies his position in the world rankings, while Taylor has work to do after a slightly tentative display.

Brad Pauls sprung a huge surprise when he stopped 15-0 IBF number-three middleweight Shakiel Thompson while behind on the cards. The 6’3 Thompson controlled much of the action with a rapier southpaw jab and punishing uppercuts with the right. But Pauls showed timing, determination and a sniper’s eye to finish his man in a chaotic ninth.

Pauls had been putting money in the bank all night with the right straight. After Thompson chipped away at him for eight rounds, Pauls spun that straight into a crunching hook that started the trouble. Thompson went down hard and tried to hold, but Pauls was a perpetual motion machine, not letting Shakiel’s long limbs snare him. A flurry of punishing punches had ‘Dr Steel’ out on his feet before the ‘The Newquay Bomb’ detonated in the ninth to take home the IBF international middleweight strap and a plum ranking with the world bodies.

Francesco Grandelli answered the eternal fight night question; which boxer will come out to Still D.R.E. Someone always comes out to Still D.R.E. But the answer to the only question that concerned the Italian was a negative one. Namely, ‘can I find a way through Liam Davies?’.

Davies was mostly relentless in securing a stoppage over the experienced Grandelli in six one-sided rounds for the vacant European featherweight crown. The visitor offered bravery, but not enough movement or slickness to stop the onslaught.

The Shropshire boy warmed into the contest with body shots thrown off a rangy jab upstairs. An audible right hook in the first round left Grandelli with a gruesome, swollen cheek. An overhand right had the Italian unsteady in the second round. Grandelli improved in the third but hit the deck in the fourth. ‘Dangerous’ Davies indeed, though the Brit smothered his work a little on the follow-up.

Grandelli’s last stand came in the fifth and a brutal sixth saw his nose spread across his throbbing face. Grandelli’s corner withdrew him at the conclusion of that round. Davies came in as a top-15 featherweight with every world body. Look for the ‘Dangerous’ one to keep climbing with a world title crack in his sights.

Sometimes as a boxing writer you get self-indulgent. How can I describe this fight in iambic pentameter? Can I spit linguistic fire that would make the Bard himself blush? Well that’s all well and good but sometimes you just have to say; f**king hell. F**KING HELL.

Josh Holmes’ first round TKO of Alex Murphy was one such moment. I won’t dip into the lyrics of Messrs McCartney and Lennon to beguile you. This doesn’t need it. Holmes was boxing neatly early on, before the long levers of Murphy caught him off guard and off-balance. Down goes Holmes.

The unbeaten Earby boy rose and weathered heavy fire. Murphy was as focused and unforgiving as the titular Robocop with whom he shares a legal name. Then all hell broke loose. Holmes uncorked a left hook on the on-rushing Murphy, who went down and threatened to go out.

Murphy rose, but with a Co-op Arena tier full of his friends and family roaring him on, Holmes closed the show with a fierce flurry on the ropes as the round ticked down. This wasn’t victory from the jaws of defeat. Defeat had already started digesting the f**king thing when Holmes clawed this win from its gaping maw. Never mind the Commonwealth silver lightweight bauble at stake, the 2026 Knockout of the Year award might be landing on Holmes’ mantle.

The Magnificent 7 portion of the evening opened with Michael Gomez Jr’s dramatic third-round stoppage win over Jordan Flynn. The Oxford man’s only previous loss had come in nearby Altrincham and Flynn might not be keen to return to the North West after this gruesome loss.

Flynn started well on the balls of his feet, establishing a potent left jab-straight right combination which he wielded judiciously. Gomez went looking for single shots, with the uppercut being a particular favourite. It would prove to be another omen.

After a messy second round that left Flynn carrying a nick from an accidental clash of heads. Gomez struck gold in the third. A short left uppercut had his man at sixes and sevens. Flynn’s corner implored the 29-year-old to hold, but instead he fought fire with fire.

Gomez’s fire burned hotter, with a thunderous left uppercut threatening the end. Flynn was now wearing a blood-and-bruise crimson mask. Gomez picked his prey off along the ropes before the ref waved things off. A restorative victory for the Mancunian, who was fighting for the first time since losing to Reece Belotti 13 months ago.

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In early action, Nelson Birchall picked up the English featherweight gong with a precise and patient performance against the game and schooled Ryan Griffiths. The new champion provided a compact and unwilling target for Griffiths’ intermittent flurries. Birchall broke his man down along the ropes in the ninth to claim his first title as a professional.

John Joe Corrigan moved to 2-0, getting rid of Danny Costello in the fourth and final round of a super welterweight clash. Aadam Hamed, with father Prince Naseem watching from ringside, showed some of the low-slung and smoothly-precise family traits to whitewash Michael Mooney over four super lightweight stanzas.

Images: Queensberry/Leigh Dawney

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