Britain’s heavyweight prospect puts his unbeaten record on the line against Jermaine Franklin on Saturday
M
oses Itauma might represent the glittering future of heavyweight boxing but right now he is locked in the present. In the back seat of a car, while being driven from one swanky hotel to another in Manchester, the 21-year-old turns to me and says: “Let’s get going.”
I know how much Itauma dislikes interviews and so the only sensible option is to resist this blunt invitation to rush through our 45 minutes together. On Saturday night, in Manchester, Itauma fights Jermaine Franklin, the tough American who should provide his first notable test after he has won all 13 professional fights so far, with 11 ending in brutal stoppages. So he nods, just a little grudgingly, when I suggest we wait until we are sitting face to face.
Itauma fires up an iPad and finds footage of the final press conference he and Franklin have just held. He hits the fast-forward button to reach the point where he can hear himself talking. This might seem vain but I think it’s something different. Itauma looks to be searching for improvement.
