The final weekend of March 2026 in the Boxing world was highlighted by two events on March 28th taking place in Manchester, England and Las Vegas, NV respectively. First, it was fast-rising Heavyweight Moses Itauma, who looked for his fourteenth victory in as many fights in his professional career as he faced veteran contender Jermaine Franklin at the Co-op Arena in Manchester, England.
Coming off of a destructive first round knockout of longtime Heavyweight contender and former world title challenger Dillian Whyte last August in Saudi Arabia, some thought this bout against a durable and always determined opponent in Jermaine Franklin, could have provided a test for the twenty-one year old “Knockout Artist" Itauma. Despite the test some were expecting, which was based on significant evidence in that Franklin had not been stopped in his career and had gone the distance with both Whyte and former two-time World Heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua, Itauma would provide another example as to why he has been given that label.
From the opening bell, Itauma put Franklin on the defensive. In all truth and honestly with the reader, this observer was not surprised in Itauma’s approach here as I stated in previewing this fight, that it was logical to assume that Franklin would have to weather an early storm if he were to extend him into the middle and late rounds of the fight.
What I frankly did not expect was how Itauma more or less nullified Franklin's offensive output before he could have a chance to find a rhythm, albeit while largely on the defensive. In round three Itauma dropped Franklin for the first time in his career with a perfectly timed left hook to the jaw. Itauma had succeeded in doing something that neither Dillian Whyte or Anthony Joshua were able to accomplish in sending Jermaine Franklin down to the canvas, but he was not done.
Although Franklin did manage to land a few hard shots that did seem to land flush, the tempo of the combat remained the same. Itauma landing harder blows and keeping Franklin in a defensive state. This was until round five when Itauma produced another devastating knockout to go on his resume. Connecting with a flush right uppercut that froze Franklin on his feet, followed by another flush left hand to the jaw that sent Franklin down hard on the canvas. The bout was stopped by Referee Steve Gray.
With now twelve knockouts in fourteen career bouts, Moses Itauma continues to seemingly be on the fast track towards a world title opportunity. Before discussing what may follow, however, the time has come to discuss the second bout that took place on March 28th.
Yours truly is referring to the third title defense of WBC World Jr. Middleweight world champion Sebastian Fundora, who defended his title against former Welterweight world champion Keith Thurman at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, NV. While this fight had the classic scenario of youth versus experience in a young world champion who may very well be ascending towards the sport’s mythical pound for pound debates going against a former world champion who had more experience and had shared the ring with some of the best fighters of his era, this fight also had the aspect of a fighter in Thurman, who has been plagued by inactivity over the last several years attempting to defy all logic by trying to dethrone a world champion known as “The Towering Inferno” due to his standing nearly 6’6 and being blessed with the type of height and reach advantages that is rarely seen in the 154lb. Jr. Middleweight or even the 160lb. Middleweight division. Despite only having one defeat in his career going into this challenge, which came when he lost his Welterweight world championship to Hall of Famer Manny Pacquiao in July 2019 in what proved to be a close and competitive bout and having both the experience and type of skillset that theoretically could have posed a threat to Fundora, Thurman had only fought twice in the last six years due to both injuries and like many fighters aligned with the PBC group of promoters, who also promoted this bout, long stretches of inactivity, which was why many felt his chances here in this fight were illogical and may have amounted to a puncher’s chance.
The champion immediately stunned Thurman in the opening seconds of the first round with a straight left hand from the southpaw stance and would nearly score a knockdown of the former world champion in an almost carbon copy of what had transpired in the first round when Fundora connected with a left hand that badly buckled Thurman’s legs, but narrowly and some might suggest miraculously, Thurman managed to keep his balance and was able to avoid his gloves touching the canvas. From this point in the fight, the contest had seemingly been decided due largely to Fundora fighting a disciplined fight where he made full use of his height and reach advantage over the 5’8 Thurman, which beyond the challenger being able to land occasionally, resulted in him being unable to get into anything that would resemble a consistent rhythm as well as being forced to move laterally constantly in an attempt to avoid the champion’s come forward pressure approach.
As I watched this fight, I wondered privately if Thurman would gradually find more success, particularly if he were able to get into the second half of the fight due to the constant need to move in trying to evade Fundora, which while certainly not an easy task to accomplish for any fighter at such a height and reach deficit, much less for someone who is thirty-seven years old and who has not been in active competition on a consistent basis over the last have decade, if he were able to get into the middle and late rounds, all of the aforementioned movement would have to at least slow Fundora down a little as the fight progressed. Despite that private observation by yours truly, it was clear that this developed into a scenario where one fighter was being busted up and suffering a beating at the hands of his younger, taller, and longer opponent.
Although there would be no knockdown of the former champion Thurman, the effects of the punishment he was taking including suffering a bad cut above his left eye and being increasingly unable to land anything of the type of punches that could have kept Fundora off of him convinced Referee Thomas Taylor to step in and mercifully stop the fight at 1:16 of round six, giving Fundora his third successful title defense and his third consecutive knockout victory since becoming a world champion in March of last year.
The twenty-fourth win in twenty-six professional fights for Sebastian Fundora and being the first fighter to stop Keith Thurman serves as another step in the career of a fighter who may indeed become a part of the pound for pound debates as his career progresses. In terms of what’s next for the champion, this observer believes it may be likely that a potential unification bout between Fundora and the winner of the potential fight between IBF Jr. Middleweight world champion Jeron Ennis and Vergil Ortiz, who currently has interim champion status in the WBC’s Jr. Middleweight ratings, may indeed be the aim at least in the short-term. Perhaps in the interim, we could see Fundora face top contender Bakary Samake of France who is the WBC Silver Jr. Middleweight champion. One thing is clear, however, if this version of Sebastian Fundora stays where he maintains discipline and makes full use of his naturally blessed gifts of height and reach, it will be very difficult for opposing fighters from Jr. Middleweight to Middleweight to combat him.
Turning back to the first fight that was covered in this column and briefly touching on what may be in store for Moses Itauma, At twenty-one years old and only having fourteen professional fights, it is rare for this observer to proclaim that a fighter with such a resume may be ready for a shot at a world championship. With two devastating knockouts against two legitimate world-rated contenders however, short, yet impressive resume or not, we may see a point perhaps by the end of this year where it will be time to say Itauma should be next in line. While I am not ready to proclaim him as the next challenger to a world champion in the Heavyweight division just yet, the time may indeed be approaching sooner than later.
“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”
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