Moses Itauma has revealed the full extent of the bicep injury that forced the postponement of his heavyweight clash with Jermaine Franklin Jr. earlier this year. The unbeaten Brit was originally scheduled to face Franklin on Jan. 24 in Manchester, but the bout was called off just six days before fight night due to injury. The rescheduled contest will now take place March 28 at the same venue with the same undercard.
Itauma explained that the damage occurred during sparring and that he initially attempted to fight through it. “I had a sparring session and that's when I'd done it,” he said. Despite informing promoter Frank Warren, Itauma believed it was a minor issue and tried to push on. “I was trying my best to kind of recover a tear because I thought it was like a little niggle, as boxers we just carry on and push through it.”
However, when the discomfort persisted, Warren insisted on medical checks. A scan ultimately revealed a grade two tear. “He said, ‘go get a scan, I won’t let you fight unless you get a scan,’” Itauma recalled. “Then I get a scan and then obviously I had a grade two tear and it was me trying to push through it as if nothing's happened.”
The 21-year-old admitted the injury was severe enough that he could barely run for a period of time. Now fully recovered and back in training and sparring, Itauma is preparing for his return against Franklin as he looks to resume momentum after not fighting since August due to injuries and difficulties securing an opponent.
Image Credit: Sky Sports