Moses Itauma is getting closer. The serious part of his boxing career will start at about 11pm on Saturday in Manchester, when his ring apprenticeship ends and the real fights begin.
This weekend, Itauma meets American Jermaine Franklin, a veteran of 26 fights but still a young man in the heavyweight business at 32, and whose only two losses are more relevant than any of his 24 wins; there is a subtle difference between winning in risk-free fights and losing in fights where you have no chance.