Moses Itauma is aiming for a narrow target as his career moves into its next phase. The 21-year-old heavyweight wants to become Britain’s youngest world champion, a distinction currently held by Prince Naseem Hamed.
Hamed won a world title at 21 years and seven months. Itauma turned 21 at the end of December. This leaves limited time, and it also puts pressure on how the event arrives. Itauma’s earlier ambition to become the youngest heavyweight champion in history is no longer available. That record, held by Mike Tyson, is already out of reach. What remains is a British age record that will be judged largely by the circumstances surrounding it.
Itauma returns on January 24 in Manchester against Jermaine Franklin. The combat is not designed as a puzzler. Franklin is durable, experienced and difficult to remove early. He has never been stopped. For Itauma, this makes the fight more useful than dramatic.
Most of Itauma’s professional victories ended quickly. He has 13 wins, 11 by knockout, and has not gone past six rounds. That profile has risen, but it has also left open questions about how he handles longer fights, slower tempos and moments when an opponent refuses to give ground.
Promoter Frank Warren pointed to Franklin as a necessary step. Franklin went the distance with Anthony Joshua and lost a short decision to Dillian Whyte. He’s not considered a threat at the top of the division, but he’s reliable enough to expose weaknesses if they exist.
Itauma’s own stoppage of Whyte in Riyadh last summer was his most visible victory. It ended in one round and cemented his reputation as a heavy puncher. If Itauma can’t stop Franklin early, it will probably say more about his readiness than another one-round finish would.
The division itself has shifted since Oleksandr Usyk vacated the WBO title. Itauma is number one with both the WBA and WBO. That positioning puts him close to a title opportunity if the sanctioning bodies move.
If a title fight takes place later this year, the focus will not remain on Itauma’s age for long. Heavyweight history tends to reduce age records to footnotes once the opponent has been vetted. The Franklin fight won’t answer every question, but it will indicate whether Itauma is primed for substance rather than timing.
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Last updated on 01/02/2026
