The momentum of one of boxing’s fastest-rising heavyweights has come to a sudden halt. A sudden injury has now postponed the entire card to a later date. The undefeated English boxer Moses Itauma was supposed to face the durable Jermaine Franklin Jr on January 24 at the Co-op Live in Manchester. His first fight of the new year has now led the entire event to be

It was supposed to be his first fight of 2026 and a first since dispatching Dillian Whyte in the first round of their bout last year in August. Itauma was handed Franklin to add rounds to his resume, but now that will have to come later.

When is Moses Itauma fighting?

According to veteran boxing journalist Dan Rafael, the fight and the entire card have been postponed to March 28 after Itauma suffered an injury in training camp.

“Breaking: Per Queensberry announcement, heavyweight Moses Itauma has suffered an injury, and his fight and the entire Jan. 24 card has been postponed until March 28,” Rafael wrote on X.

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The nature of the injury hasn’t been revealed to the public. A statement from Itauma’s promoter, Queensberry Promotions, said, “Unfortunately, Moses Itauma has sustained an injury in camp.” The WBA had previously ordered Kubrat Pulev to defend his ‘regular’ heavyweight title against Itauma, but he refused that challenge.

Instead, he took on Murat Gassiev last month and still lost the belt. Other names on Itauma’s card included Willy Hutchinson vs. Ezra Taylor, Shakiel Thompson vs. Brad Pauls, and Liam Davies vs. Zak Miller, among others. Initially, there had been rumblings for Itauma to face division’s king Oleksandr Usyk, but the Ukrainian had other plans to pursue. The postponement means his opponent, Jermaine Franklin Jr., will have to wait to prove that he’s not another easy fight.

Jermaine Franklin Jr. reacts to giving rounds to Itauma

Franklin Jr. has taken clear exception to the idea that he has been drafted simply to give rounds to Moses Itauma. While the narrative suggests Franklin was selected to provide ring time for the unbeaten 21-year-old, the Michigan native insists that framing is both inaccurate and disrespectful.

“I’ve heard that,” Franklin said. “It’s very disrespectful. This is the boxing game. They always try to bring somebody down just to boost somebody else up.” Despite accepting the realities of the sport, Franklin admitted he takes such talk personally.

Ahead of their clash, Franklin has studied Itauma closely.

“I like to pick small stuff apart… because, to me, small stuff is big advantages,” he explained. Having never been stopped and owning decision losses only to Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte, Franklin is determined to prove to the world that he is a worthy opponent for Itauma.

“I’m just here to show people that I’m no pushover,” he said.

Well, Franklin will have to wait till March to prove that. But do you think Itauma’s injury will affect his performance?