DAZN: Moses Itauma vs. Jermaine Franklin Jr & Willy Hutchinson vs. Ezra Taylor - Round by Round.

I think he beats Fury now, just Ituama hand speed would be a big issue for Fury. I think he stops Fury, he's seen his best days though still a good fighter.

Usyk agree too seasoned for Ituama and elite boxing IQ.

 

Thats the fight i,d like to see. Fury v moses. Fury still got the tools if hes anything like his last fight against usyk anyway. Got a feeling moses would tire first. But as your saying the hand speed might be too much for fury

 

Agree. Franklin saw the chin sticking out a couple of times too.

I think it's the stamina they need to worry about, all well and good doing sparring to build that up, but doing it with nervous energy and a live opponent is something different.

 

The hand speed is a big issue for anyone. Frightening that.

 

Shouldn’t be an issue as outside of Usyk there’s no top counter punchers in the division. Would be a potential problem if he was a lower weight.

 

Fury’s not elusive, lol. That’s a myth.

It’s his ring craft, size and footwork that are good.

 

True but Itauma isn’t exactly hard to hit. He moves back out of range in a straight line and he exposes his chin when doing so. He also drops his lead hand down when returning it after jabbing and leading with the hook. He often finds himself square at the hips within punching range and over commits his weight by leaning heavy on his front foot.

Parker is a good counter puncher and is disciplined. He’s improved a lot under Lee, and can deal with southpaws. I could see both him and Zhang giving Itauma a decent scrap. Maybe Kabayel as well.

 

I’d like to see Parker next as the final step before a title shot. Kabayel to me deserves the next crack at Usyk, and Zhang looks done at this level now.

If Moses can do to Parker what he did last night, there’s no chance Fury or Joshua go anywhere near him, so it would have to be straight into a title shot. Personally I think he’s ready, and anything more than one more fight before a shot is just holding him back, even if he gets chinned by Usyk.

Right now he’s the most exciting heavyweight on the planet, and that finish last night was clinical. Franklin is no Dave Allen.

 

I think Dave Allen summed it up, offensivly Moses is amazing but defensivly you can see the issues but at the same time he might tigjten all that up against better opponents

 

I find it really interesting. Fighters can change hugely over a period of months, that is a fact, but even an out of shape Franklin is a decent opponent, particularly for an as was 13 fight novice. Moses record at 14 fights now has Dempsey McKean, Whyte, Wach and Franklin. His record at 14 fights looks very, very accomplished. It took Hrgovic 12 rounds I think to get rid of McKean, Wach is usually super durable, Whyte was shot but has never been hurt as badly and as early and Franklin has never been off his feet, several 'in the trade' picking him to hear the bell here. Neither Whyte nor AJ could dent him.

We keep saying, what will he do against someone with ambition, the narrative being that his opponents up to now have had no ambition. I always think this is a somewhat naive view. He has not allowed his opponents any ambition. The last guy who fought him tried to fire back and take his head off but was caught with a check hook as Moses moved BACKWARDS and that separated him from his senses. Franklin sat in his corner commenting on Ituamas speed. It is hard to have ambition when you are being hit by several shots of, and this is really clever, varying levels of power and intent; this does not allow the opponent to adjust to the power, and such a variety of punches.

I suspect against a come forward, aggressive fighter willing to throw leather, Ituama wins quickly and clearly. I think he'd stop Wardley right now, and I suspect he'd stop big Dan also. Kabayel might be the next best step up but I suspect he will look limited and one dimensional in with Moses. My only concern is not his chin, we might never find out about that, its his engine; and possibly his overall condition. That said, he has always huffed and puffed between rounds then looked seamless from bell to bell. His ability to pace himself, vary his attack, vary his power and glide in and out of range, ride punches is all of a much higher level than a 14 fight 'novice' should have. I wonder if he should be in the low 230s but then, he is a kid and frighteningly, he hasn't got his 'man strength' or physical maturity yet.

Buckle up, lets enjoy the ride...

 

Such a difficult path to navigate the heavyweight division as a 21 year old. Who has that level of ability and yet a lack of experience and some weaknesses that can end up getting exposed.

Franklin was a good opponent at the right time. But Franklin is a heavy set unathletic 32 year old. What happens when the opponent can take the shots and is still fresh. At this stage i say moses likely falls apart against the top guys without the right preparation for them kind of fights. Franklin wasnt that far away from starting to ask a few questions himself if he could have got out them next few rounds.

Still needs a few more Franklin type fights then a step up to the next level after that.

 

His his manager should want more learning fights of this level and definitely longer fights.

 

Problem is… against who? Joshua and Whyte both used Franklin as a launchpad after title defeats, and he went the distance with both and ran Whyte pretty close. Moses just poleaxed him and was quick enough to catch him again on the way down.

At this level the next fight has to be an eliminator, otherwise you keep matching him with “durable” guys and he risks stagnating, like when Warren had Hatton stuck defending the WBU. The only people who give him proper rounds now are the ones who’ll naturally want no part of him to protect their own positions. It’s hard to see who takes him 12 outside the top 5–6, and if you’re in that bracket it may as well be a title fight.

 

Add the fact that Itauma doesn´t live a healthy life outside the ring.

 

Care to elaborate?