Enriko Moses Itauma vs. Jermaine Franklin, Jr.

Franklin is tricky and durable enough that if Itauma blows him away I'd be impressed.

 

Lol all this Itauma hype and he’s fighting this guy? What about Kabayel?

 

Frank Warren manages both, no way he risks it that early.

Kabayel too soon for Itauma too.

 

Itauma will win this although not sure how quickly Itauma will get Franklin out of there.

Franklin is offensively very mediocre but can be defensively effective at times and he'll just be shelling up all fight looking to survive.

Itauma 4th round TKO. Franklin is not really much of a test for Itauma unless Itauma gasses himself out trying to KO Franklin.

 

Franklin for Itauma is much like Kevin Johnson was for AJ. Itauma has a chance to stop him early since Itauma always tries to KO his opponents as quick as possible.

If he fails though he will get his stamina tested. At 18 Itauma tried his best to KO two tough trial horses in Dovbyschenko and Espindola but wasn't even able to hurt them once.

 

Itauma by KO in 1.

 

The only question is what round Itauma KO's him in. I could see a very early ending, Jermaine is not that big, not that strong, and not that skilled. He's nothing special.

 

From a matchmaking perspective for a 20 year old prospect it’s a decent fight, not much of a step up (at all) from Whyte, but Franklin’s style should mean an early KO is less likely, and Itauma should get some rounds in which he badly needs to.

Itauma mid rounds stoppage. I’d be a little impressed if it’s an early stoppage, I also wouldn’t be overly surprised if it went the distance.

 

Makhmudov never got anywhere near the amount of hype Itauma has. His biggest supporters on here tended to be some of his biggest detractors. Also tbf no one had ever dropped Wach before that. Even against Itauma several years later Wach wasn't in the kind of trouble he was against Makhmudov. I think it's not a stretch to say that power/heavy hands(along with his patented neck twitch) are things he has over the rest of the division.

 

Knyba is hot garbage. About all he'll be able to do against Kabayel is tie him up funnily enough. Another big lumbering oaf to fall victim to the Kabayel axe.