Moses Itauma vs Jermaine Franklin Repeats a Familiar Heavyweight Pattern

Franklin returns as experienced test after going distance with Whyte and Joshua

Moses Itauma faces Jermaine Franklin on March 28 in Manchester. Franklin again steps in as a test for a rising heavyweight.

Franklin has already filled this slot before. He went twelve rounds with Dillian Whyte in 2022 and lost a competitive decision. He followed that with a fight against Anthony Joshua, where he again went the distance and again fell short. Those nights established a clear line. He can compete, he can extend fights, but he has not broken through at that level.

Since then, Franklin has picked up a win over Ivan Dychko, taking an unbeaten record and showing he still has value beyond those losses. It did not change how he is used. He remains the kind of opponent who answers a question without raising new ones for promoters or fans.

That is where Itauma comes in. At 21, he is being moved with purpose, matched in a way that looks like a step up while staying within a controlled range. Franklin fits that role. He is experienced, durable, and known enough to give the result weight if Itauma wins cleanly and without struggle.

The heavyweight division has always relied on these types of fighters. They are not contenders in the traditional sense, but they are not prospects either. They sit in between, used to measure where the next wave stands.

Franklin has proven to be a capable opponent for the bigger names in the UK. In this fight, he shouldn’t be any more of a problem for the 21-year-old Itauma than he was for Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte. Now, if he gets lucky and upsets Moses or makes him look bad, then we’ll know he was the wrong man for the assignment.