Moses Itauma had declared his desire to face undisputed champ Oleksandr Usyk after his 1st round knockout win over Dillian Whyte on August 16th, but subsequent moves indicated otherwise as the British heavyweight went on to decline a shot to become the IBF mandatory against Frank Sanchez. The 20-year old budding superstar will now headline a Queensberry Promotions show next year with Jermaine Franklin on January 20th at the Co-Op Live Arena in Manchester, UK.

A prior mandate from the WBA for WBA “regular” heavyweight (200+ lbs) Bulgarian champion Kubrat Pulev (32-3, 14 KO’s) to face Itauma (13-0, 11 KO’s) suggested the two would fight after a 30-day deadline was issued starting October 14th, but a different opponent has now been confirmed for Itauma as he prepares to face American opponent Jermaine Franklin (24-2, 15 KO’s).

Best known for his 2023 bout against Anthony Joshua, the 32-year old Franklin only counts two losses on his resume against notable heavyweights Dillian Whyte (31-4, 21 KO’s) and Joshua, and has been on a three-match winning streak since then.

Despite Franklin being a decent opponent, the American is currently not ranked in the top 10 or 15 of any of the four main sanctioning bodies but is considered to be a determined, skillful boxer with potential to at least be considered a genuine contender.

Complementing the card in the co-main event will be Scottish light-heavyweight (175 lbs) contender Willy Hutchinson (19-2, 14 KO’s) who will be up against Nottingham fighter Ezra Taylor (13-0, 9 KO’s).