Darren Barker: The fact we've got a future superstar on our hands really excites me

Darren Barker is back with his latest column for DAZN News and he cannot wait to see rising star Moses Itauma lock horns with Jermaine Franklin in Manchester on Saturday night, live on DAZN. 

I don't know who beats Itauma

I’m massively looking forward to being ringside for Moses Itauma against Jermaine Franklin.

Can Itauma stop him? If he does, it’s one hell of a victory. On the flip side, if it goes the distance, those rounds will be invaluable. It really is a win-win for Team Itauma.

Personally, I think it’s a given that he wins. I think he will be the first to stop Franklin — I really believe he’s that good — and will send a huge statement doing so.

He punches that hard. He punches that correctly. He turns the knuckle over, he's so quick, turns the hips into the shot and his accuracy is just brilliant. It's so good.

I see him winning and then the big question is who’s next? If he stops Franklin, I think it should be a final eliminator or a world title shot.

In my opinion, we're already looking at the future of the heavyweight division — and this is kind of the last hurdle before he challenges for gold.

I'm telling you now, I don't know who beats him and it excites me because it's the glamour division in boxing. It's the marquee division and is what puts bums on seats.

Heavyweight boxing is what makes the man or woman next door who has no interest in the sport turn on the telly and watch.

People will understandably say Dillian Whyte didn’t look right against Moses last August. He looked unsteady on his legs.

I don't know whether there was an issue, and I don't want to make any excuses for Dillian, but he wasn’t his normal self.

The Dillian we know would have gone out swinging, throwing big hooks and really leaving it all in the ring.

I was surprised in that sense but not surprised that Itauma won the fight. I always thought he would blow him away at some point.

If he does the same thing to Franklin, who I honestly rate, as I said earlier I genuinely don't know who beats him.

Leigh Dawney/Queensberry

Don’t forget this is a young man's sport. As good as Oleksandr Usyk's been, and this is meant with no disrespect, fighting someone like Itauma who's on the way up isn’t a risk worth taking.

So yeah, he may have to be patient. Moses may have to sit on his hands for a little bit but it’s going to be an interesting time.

One option would be for him to face the winner of Fabio Wardley vs. Daniel Dubois.

If Wardley wins, which I think he will in a very close one, I could see it happening if it makes sense financially.

But regardless of what comes next, the fact we've got a future superstar from this country on our hands really excites me.

Darren Barker was speaking to Gavin Glicksman

Watch Itauma vs. Franklin with a DAZN subscription

Raising star Moses Itauma faces his toughest test against Jermaine Franklin on Saturday, March 28. 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.

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