Boxing
Jermaine Franklin trainer reveals big motivation ahead of Moses Itauma clash
Itauma vs Franklin: Subscribe to watch - TOMORROW
Moses Itauma is in for a rude awakening when he faces Jermaine Franklin on Saturday, according to Jessie Addison.
The American is the long-term trainer of Franklin, guiding him to Golden Gloves glory in 2014, and he is the man tasked with plotting the downfall of Itauma at Manchester’s Co-op Live Arena , live on DAZN .
Itauma is arguably the best prospect in world boxing right now and the 21-year-old heavyweight star is a red-hot favourite to extended his perfect record against Franklin.
Franklin is being written off by most people ahead of the showdown but Addison says that is serving as great motivation for his man, who he believes will rip up the script this weekend.
“It’s definitely fuel for the fire because we’re not just going in there to give Moses rounds, we’re going into this fight to win,” Addison told DAZN News .
“If people are expecting Jermaine to just give him rounds, then they’ll be very mistaken on that.
“My prediction is that we’ll win the fight by any means necessary. So, if it’s a knockout, we’ll welcome that. If we have to go the rounds, then we’ll secure it that way, but we will win the fight.”
Franklin a better fighter now
Addison was in the corner for Franklin’s two previous outings in the UK, when losing a majority decision to Dillian Whyte in 2022 and dropping a wide decision to Anthony Joshua the following year.
However, Team Franklin felt they deserved to get the nod against Whyte and they weren’t happy with the referee against Joshua, so they aren’t expecting any favours on their return to the UK.
Addison believes those contests made Franklin a better fighter and that his superior experience will count for a lot against the younger man.
He continued: “Whenever you fight on an opponent’s turf, that’s always a bonus for the opponent. I guess we learned from those fights [Whyte and Joshua], so we know what to expect now.
“He definitely learned from those two fights. I think they made him more of a solid fighter, more of a fighter who will just go in there and take care of work. Experience will most definitely be a big factor in the fight.
“Jermaine has got the experience and he’s got the wisdom, so I think he will show Moses things that, so far, other opponents haven’t shown him. It will definitely put Moses to the test.”
Postponement no issue for Franklin
The fight was originally scheduled for January but it had to be postponed when Itauma suffered a late injury.
Addison insists the rearrangement didn’t derail their camp and they have remained in training throughout.
When asked if it adversely affected their preparation, Addison replied: “No, when we got back to the United States we went right to work.
“The injury was a surprise to us, we were prepared at that moment to fight, so when something like that occurs it makes you think. You have to just rethink and go back to business.
“We’ve been back in the UK since mid-February.”
"I see something in him that I can exploit"
Watch: Jermaine Franklin reveals the weakness in Itauma he plans to use to defeat him
The trainer fully expects his charge to emerge victorious on Saturday and he is excited about where a victory against one of the brightest young stars in the sport will take Franklin next.
He added: “I feel like after Jermaine wins this fight, the sky is the limit. He can do whatever he wants to do after this.
“He’ll be in the position that I always wanted him to be. Once a fighter positions himself, he’ll be available for whatever is there. So, that’s what we want, we want to position ourselves to be available for whatever opportunity comes our way. “
Watch Itauma vs. Franklin with a DAZN subscription
Knockout sensation Moses Itauma faces his toughest test against Jermaine Franklin this Saturday. Watch exclusively with a DAZN Ultimate subscription to also get PPVs Chisora vs. Wilder (April 4), Wardley vs. Dubois (May 9), and Usyk vs Verhoeven (May 23) included.
