Moses Itauma makes candid admission after breakout year before Jermaine Franklin test

Moses Itauma admits that he has discovered the politics of boxing first-hand this year, suggesting there is "a lot more smoke" to the sport.

The Briton has enjoyed a further breakout year, capped by his ruthless one-round demolition of Dillian Whyte in Riyadh, back in August.

He will bid to extend his unbeaten record against American Jermaine Franklin in Manchester next month, live worldwide to watch on DAZN.

But Itauma has been forced to wait for his next bout after several other mooted opponents apparently fell through for one reason or another.

Speaking to The Ring, the star acknowledges he has discovered new things about the professional hierarchy and operation of the game. 

"I wouldn't say I’ve learned how much boxing is a business but more how many business-minded people are in the sport if that makes sense," he said.

"I think, at the end of the day, to a core, like, boxing is, I guess, still a sport. It's just the fact that there's so many businessmen trying to make money out of it.

"I probably would say [that] there's a lot more contracts, a lot more talk [and] a lot more smoke than when I first started professional."

Itauma braced for historic 2026 campaign

DAZN News correspondent Andrew Steel

It's been a blockbuster year for Moses Itauma - and the only way looks to be up for the rising star of the heavyweight division from here on out.

Whether he gets over the line and secures his title in 2026 is another matter - in a division commanded by Oleksandr Usyk, it will be a tough ask.

But Fabio Wardley's elevation to the WBO title suggests yet a potential path to a major belt, particularly as Itauma continues to be well-ranked.

First however, he must get past the tricky test presented to him by Jermaine Franklin, as he bids to extend his impressive record inside the ring.

Come through that unscathed however, and the sky will be the limit as he looks to write his name into the history books for success and beyond.

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