Moses Itauma vs Jermaine Franklin Review PLUS Future Heavyweight King Debate
Moses Itauma stopped Jermaine Franklin in five rounds and looked every bit like the next big thing in the heavyweight division.
Radio Rahim and Sean Zittel break down the performance, the hand speed, the punch selection, the future world title talk, and whether boxing is moving too fast in crowning Itauma the next king.
Watch more episodes and connect via:
https://www.youtube.com/@RadioRahimHere [https://www.youtube.com/@RadioRahimHere]
https://www.youtube.com/@SeanZittel [https://www.youtube.com/@SeanZittel]
In this episode of About That Action, Radio Rahim and Sean Zittel react to Moses Itauma’s dominant stoppage win over Jermaine Franklin and ask the big question boxing fans are already debating: are we looking at the future ruler of the heavyweight division, or are people getting carried away too quickly?
Sean is all in on Itauma, praising the fluidity, the step-backs, the feints, the body work, the hand speed and the kind of technical maturity you almost never see from a 21-year-old heavyweight. Jermaine Franklin had never previously been stopped and had gone hard rounds with Anthony Joshua, which only makes Itauma’s control and finish look even more impressive.
But Rahim brings the balance. Yes, the performance was elite. Yes, the knockout was clinical. Yes, Itauma passed the eye test with flying colours. But the heavyweight division is not short on talent, and there are still names like Usyk, Dubois, Wardley and Kabayel further along the road. The conversation becomes less about hype and more about timing, matchmaking and the dangers of placing a crown on a fighter before he has had to earn it against the very best.
There is also real appreciation for the job Queensberry is doing in building heavyweight contenders properly and creating meaningful fights in a division that suddenly feels loaded with intrigue again. So this is not just a review of a one-sided stoppage. It is a wider debate about projection versus proof, hype versus substance, and what it really takes to become the next heavyweight king.
Key Moments:
0:00 – Moses Itauma stops Jermaine Franklin and Sean goes all in on the hype
02:43 – The speed, feints and punch selection that overwhelmed Franklin
04:16 – Why Rahim likes Itauma’s path but refuses to crown him yet
06:14 – The uppercut finish, killer instinct and what the knockout proved
10:10 – Why the heavyweight division is too deep to hand Itauma the throne already
13:01 – Sean compares the moment to Mike Tyson’s rise through the division
17:03 – Rahim explains why potential means nothing until it survives pressure
23:01 – Itauma’s personality, media handling and growth outside the ring
27:43 – The injury setback, Frank Warren’s role and the lessons of experience
32:51 – The Xs and Os: body work, distance control, ring generalship and the finish
36:44 – Why Franklin’s reaction in the corner may be the biggest compliment of all