5 Live Boxing with Steve Bunce - Itauma beats up Franklin

Episode Date: March 29, 2026

Did Moses Itauma confirm he’s heavyweight boxing’s next big thing? Buncey and Richie Woodhall discuss the 21-year-old’s knockout win over Jermaine Franklin. Is he ready for a world title shot? We hear from Itauma, his manager Francis Warren and his promoter Frank Warren.

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Well, you'll find me here right now with tonight's promoter Frank Warren. Frank, you have seen Toma coming to his dressing room. How is he looking tonight? He's in a good place. He's a fairly calm guy and he takes it all in his stride. It's a big moment for him tonight. He's 14th fight. He's only 21. You know, most guys, I mean, you think of age eight. He didn't turn pro till he was 24. So he's turned pro at very young age, 18 years of age. He's only had a, he's been out of the ring for a while, for a injury. So this is a big step up for him. He's in there with Jermaine, who's 26 fights. He's never been stopped. He's only lost two fights. And they were, four years ago and one of them was against AJ who at that time was flying and you know we all know AJ's a big puncher he couldn't put him away and him and Dylan White again four years ago was a very very tough fight and some people had felt he'd want done enough to win the fight so Moses his age

and for the amount of fights he's had this is a big step up for him and as you say this would probably be his toughest fight today is it the right time for him to face Franklin I hope so We'll find out after the fight. Look, you know, we're trying to find somebody who's going to pose him different problems, get the best out of him. And for him, this fight is, you know, he's in, as I said, with a guy who's never been stopped.

So, you know, we know he's got punch power. But like all big punches, there comes a time in their career where they don't stop the opponent, you know, for whatever reason it is. And then you've got to have plan B. You've got to go out and be able to out box him. So, you know, if he doesn't stop him, that's going to be the question.

What is it going to be like over the distance? You know, can he out boxing? Can he win the fight by points? And we'll see where we are. But I think he's the real deal. I think he, you know, whatever it is, whether he wins by a knockout or on points, I think he's capable of doing that.

And I'm pretty sure you're already got the next two years probably planned out for him already. Again, you've got to take it fight by fight, but if he comes through this tonight and I'll see how he comes through, I would like him to fight for a world title by the end of this year. And a little bird he told me, Frank,

also exciting news to hear that he's going to fight for a world title tonight, but how big boxing is getting and that it's not dying at all because tonight, someone told me that it's 16,000 in this stadium tonight which is a record for boxing at the Co-op Live Arena. At this moment in time, we've got a massive show coming up again

with Fabio Wardley and Daniel Dubois for the World Title. and that's going extremely well, that'll be sold out. Boxing is doing extremely well. We did a show a couple of weeks going Dublin, sold out. It was in Germany, magic caviel. They had a big show out there for years and years, sold out in, I think it was just over 24 hours.

Boxing is doing extremely well. We're at Queensbury, are certainly doing well with the shows that we're putting together. Heavyweight division's on fire. We've got some more youngsters tonight coming through, with an exciting fights tonight. And, you know, it's in a good place. The sport's in a really, really good place.

Well, there go. We've heard it from the gaffir himself and the fact that Atoma could be getting a world-tart fight this year. Back to you guys. Their company's success helped build a nation. The company is such a big part of Korea's economy. But who are the family behind one of the world's tech giants? The major corporate empire that we now know today. Samsung. Inheritance Samsung from the BBC World Service explores the real-life dramas of the Lee family. There's a succession-style drama underneath of all this.

Inheritance, Samsung. Listen on BBC.com, the BBC app, or wherever you get your BBC podcasts. Their company's success helped build a nation. The company is such a big part of Korea's economy. But who are the family behind one of the world's tech giants? The major corporate empire that we now know today. Samsung. Inheritance Samsung from the BBC World Service explores the real-life dramas of the Lee family.

There's a succession-style drama underneath the vault. inheritance samsa listen on bbc.com the bbc app or wherever you get your bbc podcasts