Itauma was due to return against Franklin last month but suffered a setback in training, with the contest at Manchester’s Co-op Live Arena now taking place on Saturday, March 28, live on DAZN.

The 21-year-old southpaw has lit up the heavyweight division with a string of knockout victories against good opponents and he is arguably the brightest prospect in world boxing right now.

All of his last nine fights have ended inside the first two rounds and his first-round stoppage of Dillian Whyte last time out was his 11th knockout from 13 victories.

The Ring

Itauma suffered a bicep tear in sparring and admits he didn’t want to take any time out when the incident first occurred.

“I had a sparring session and that’s when I did it. I said to Frank (Warren) I’ve done this and I’ve done that, and he told me to go and get a scan,” Itauma told the media on Tuesday.

“I was like ‘no, I will be all right’ and I was trying my best to kind of recover a tear, because I thought it was just a little niggle and us boxers we just carry on. Push through it.

“Anyway, the next day I was miles better but I wasn’t fully right. The next week I thought I was ready to spar again and I sparred, threw a punch and I just felt that something wasn’t correct.

“So, I told Frank that I’ve got the same problem and it’s not really going, he said ‘go and get a scan, I won’t let you fight unless you get a scan’.

“Obviously, I got a scan and it turns out I had a grade two tear, and there was me trying to push through it as if nothing had happened.”

Layoff not a concern for Itauma

Itauma has been very active since turning professional in January 2023 and many observers thought he would be in for a tough night when he made light work of Whyte last August.

He will have been out of the ring for over seven months by the time he fights Franklin, the longest layoff off of his career to date, but he doesn’t see the break as being an issue

“No, I wouldn’t say so,” he continued.

“When you actually think about it, talking December to December – I had my fight with Demsey McKean (in December 2024) and then, obviously, I would have needed a rest from that.

“Then I went into Mike Balogun (May 2025) and Dillian Whyte (August 2025), so I wouldn’t say I have been that inactive.

“I wouldn’t say it is a layoff because I was meant to box in November and they couldn’t find me an opponent. Then, they couldn’t find me an opponent for December, so I was due to box in January and, obviously, I got injured.

“I wouldn’t call it a layoff because I have still been in the gym. I’ve been in training camp for a long time now, so now I do want to get in the ring. Of course.”

Watch Itauma vs. Franklin with a DAZN subscription

Raising star Moses Itauma faces his toughest test yet against Jermaine Franklin on Saturday, March 28, as part of the Queensberry Magnificent 7 fight card. Watch exclusively with DAZN a subscription, monthly and annual options available.

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