Moses Itauma (14-0, 12 KOs) stopped the durable Jermaine Franklin in the fifth round, giving him his first stoppage defeat.
Itauma immediately claimed the center of the ring, popping a stiff right jab that hurt Franklin. By the second round, Itauma hurt Franklin to the body. For the first time in nearly three years, an Itauma opponent survived to see the third round. However, a body shot with 40 seconds left in round three visibly hurt Franklin.
With just 20 seconds remaining in the round, Itauma landed a heavy right hook to the top of the head, sending Franklin to the canvas for the first time in his professional career in round three. Franklin showed grit in the fourth, even managing to land a solid right hand that tested Itauma’s chin. The end came at 1:33 of the fifth round. A rear uppercut snapped Franklin’s head back. Before Franklin could recover, Itauma delivered a right hand that sent the American face-first to the canvas, as the fight was over.