Moses Itauma may fight for world title this year after beating Jermaine Franklin

Moses Itauma could be fast-tracked into fighting for a world heavyweight title later this year following a sensational fifth-round stoppage of Jermaine Franklin in Manchester.

Despite being only 21 years old, Itauma has blazed a trail through the division and made another assertive statement against Franklin, closing the show emphatically midway through the fifth round.

Promoter Frank Warren wants Itauma to have one more tune-up after he moved to 14-0, with 12 KOs, at a sold out Co-op Live Arena before he fights for either the WBC, WBA, IBF or WBO belts later in 2026.

“He’ll probably fight in July,” Warren said. “There’s a lot of fights over the next few months, we will sort something out. I’m pretty confident he will fight for a world title this year.”

Franklin had never before been stopped in his 26-fight professional career, taking both Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte the distance in his only defeats, and he was headhunted as an opponent for Itauma to get him some rounds.

While Franklin absorbed some stinging blows throughout to prove his robustness, there was a major gulf in class, with Itauma showcasing his superior speed, footwork and all-round ringcraft.

Itauma had stopped his most recent nine opponents before the end of the second round and, while Franklin reached that benchmark, the American was knocked down by a punishing blow behind his left ear in the third after being backed up against the ropes.

While he was able to rise to his feet, he crumpled face first to the canvas a couple of rounds later after Itauma followed up a peach of a left uppercut with a right hook for good measure.

The first shot seemingly left Franklin out on his feet but Itauma left no room for doubt and, while the Michigan man’s corner