“You’re not going to get the same respect everywhere,” Franklin told DAZN Boxing. “Don’t look for no judge. Don’t look for no ref. Be prepared to execute it in any situation.”
This mindset shapes how he sees the Itauma battle this Saturday. The 21-year-old prospect is fast-moving and carries momentum into the fight, and Franklin understands what that usually means when the rounds are tight. He does not speak of edges or interpretations. He talks about avoiding the situation altogether.
“It’s going to be tough,” Franklin said of the possibility of winning a decision. “But I feel that if I can dominate in a great way, they will have no choice.”
It’s a different kind of target because he’s not aiming to win rounds, but to remove any doubt. Franklin spent much of his career treating himself as an adversary rather than a destination. Even in this fight, much of the discussion centered on how many rounds he could give Itauma rather than whether he could win. He says he is used to it.
“I’ve been disrespected my whole career,” Franklin said. “A lot of it is just words to me.”
There is no attempt to fix the narrative, and instead he works around it, a mindset that also reflects how he sees his position in the department. Franklin believes he has been close to the top once and is now trying to get back there, rather than breaking through for the first time. A win over Itauma would be a reset to where he thinks he already belongs.
At 30, and after periods of inactivity, he sees himself as a fighter with fewer miles on him than most at the same stage. That’s part of why he took this fight against a younger opponent who is still building. He does not expect anything to be given to him in the process.
Franklin’s reading of the situation is candid. If he keeps the fight close, he risks losing control of it once it goes to the cards. This is the part he is trying to remove.
Jermaine tries to avoid the cards altogether and aims for a result that leaves no room for debate.
Itauma (13-0, 11 KOs) takes on Franklin (24-2, 15 KOs) in a 10-round fight this Saturday, March 28, at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester, England. The event will be streamed on DAZN.
