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Add FightsATW on GoogleMoses Itauma (13-0, 11 KOs), is back after a 7-month long hiatus, to face Jermaine Franklin (24-2, 15 KOs) at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester on March 28. With barely a day left for the fight, Itauma isn’t just looking to win, he is looking to prove, not just to fans, but to himself, that he is a formidable force in the division.
Talking to Sky Sports, Itauma revealed that it was a fight that he was always gearing up for and that he is looking to prove himself on fight night.
“Not only do I want to prove it to the fans and to the public, I want to prove to myself that I can do what I think I can do.People think I’ve had time out but from when I boxed in August, I had an injury that I had to recover from,” he said. “I said I was ready for December. December came about, I couldn’t find an opponent, so we found one end of January and then I had an incident in sparring. I haven’t had no time out, I’ve still been in the gym, it’s just I haven’t been under the bright lights. But I’ve still been training. It’s not like I’ve been resting.”
Itauma suffered a grade-two tear in his right biceps during a sparring session at training camp, which disrupted everything. Initially, Itauma tried to push through it, thinking it was just a minor issue, but scans later confirmed it was a proper tear that needed rest. Because of that, his scheduled January fight against Franklin had to be postponed, and the entire event was pushed back by about two months.
Regardless of the delay, now with the fight around the corner, saying that he’s excited would be an understatement.
“It’s a good fight. I think Jermaine Franklin’s the perfect fight, what he does so well, there’s question marks on myself. So I guess I’m excited,” he said. “He’s durable, he’s game, he throws hands, he’s fast, so yeah he’s a lot.”
“Less About The Passion”
It has barely been three years since Itauma entered the professional ring, but it seems like his passion might just be dwindling. In fact, his coach, Ben Davidson, even had to boost his morale with a pep talk.
“Me and Ben had the conversation. It was about him wanting me to be a bit more enthusiastic. But this is my work and once you start doing it every day, once money gets involved, the passion kind of just falls off a little bit,” he said while talking to the Ring. “But I do enjoy it. I do still enjoy it but it’s less about the passion and more about just wanting to reach the goals that I’ve set out for myself.”
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