Jermaine Franklin
Personal information
Nickname
989 Assassin
Born (1993-10-21) 21 October 1993 (age 32)
Saginaw, Michigan, U.S.
Height 6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight Heavyweight
Boxing career
Reach 77 in (196 cm)
Stance Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights 27
Wins 24
Win by KO 15
Losses 3
Medal record
Men's amateur boxing
Golden Gloves
Silver medal – second place 2013 Salt Lake City Super-heavyweight
Gold medal – first place 2014 Las Vegas Super-heavyweight

Jermaine Franklin (born October 21, 1993) is an American professional boxer.

Early life

Franklin was born in Saginaw, Michigan, where he spent most of his time growing up. His stepfather introduced him to boxing around the age of 12 as a means to avoid fighting in the streets and to learn discipline. Coming from a challenging environment with high crime rates, his mother had to work hard to keep him on the right path.[1]

His nickname '989 Assassin' is a reference to the area code of Saginaw, where Franklin was born.

Amateur career

Franklin's amateur career was marked by some significant achievements, including a win over Cassius Chaney. He reached the finals of the 2013 National Golden Gloves Championship, losing to Cam F. Awesome. The two met again in the 2014 final, where Franklin avenged the loss and won on points. Despite an opportunity to compete in the 2016 Olympic Games, he decided to turn professional in 2015.[1]

Professional career

Franklin fought Dillian Whyte at Wembley Arena in London on November 26, 2022. Whyte won by majority decision, although the decision of the fight was controversial with many scoring it as a draw, or for Franklin winning.[2][3][4][5]

A bout between Franklin and Anthony Joshua took place on April 1, 2023 at The O2 in London, with Joshua the winner by unanimous decision.[6]

On 28 March 2026, Franklin fought Moses Itauma at the Co-op Live arena in Manchester, England. Following a dominant performance, Itauma won by TKO in the 5th round.[7]

Personal life

Between 2019 and 2022, Franklin filed for bankruptcy, due to financial and managerial issues, and worked 12-hour night shifts to support his family.[1]

As of 2023, he has two daughters and one son.[1]

Professional boxing record

27 fights 24 wins 3 losses
By knockout 15 1
By decision 9 2
No. Result Record Opponent Type Round(s), time Date Location Notes
27 Loss 24–3 Moses Itauma KO 5 (10), 1:33 28 Mar 2026 Co-op Live, Manchester, England For WBA International and WBO Inter-Continental heavyweight titles
26 Win 24–2 Ivan Dychko UD 10 Sep 13, 2025 Allegiant Stadium, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.
25 Win 23–2 Devin Vargas RTD 6 (10), 3:00 May 24, 2024 Wayne State Fieldhouse, Detroit, U.S.
24 Win 22–2 Isaac Munoz Gutierrez UD 10 Jul 15, 2023 The Masonic Temple Detroit, Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
23 Loss 21–2 Anthony Joshua UD 12 Apr 1, 2023 The O2 Arena, London, England
22 Loss 21–1 Dillian Whyte MD 12 Nov 26, 2022 Wembley Arena, London, England
21 Win 21–0 Rodney Moore TKO 5 (8), 0:34 May 7, 2022 McBride Hall, Gary, Indiana, U.S.
20 Win 20–0 Pavel Sour UD 10 Oct 5, 2019 Dort Federal Event Center, Flint, Michigan, U.S.
19 Win 19–0 Jerry Forrest SD 10 Jul 12, 2019 Emerald Queen Casino, Tacoma, Washington, U.S.
18 Win 18–0 Rydell Booker UD 10 Apr 13, 2019 Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
17 Win 17–0 Craig Lewis UD 10 Jul 13, 2018 Motor City Casino, Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
16 Win 16–0 Ed Fountain TKO 8 (10), 1:32 Mar 3, 2018 Hollywood Casino Columbus, Columbus, Ohio, U.S.
15 Win 15–0 Cory Phelps KO 1 (10), 1:07 Dec 15, 2017 Derby Park Expo, Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.
14 Win 14–0 Tyrell Wright UD 8 Oct 19, 2017 Mayflower Hotel,Washington, D.C., U.S.
13 Win 13–0 Daniel Pasciolla TKO 6 (8), 2:36 Aug 12, 2017 Rivers Casino, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
12 Win 12–0 Akhror Muralimov UD 8 Jul 29, 2017 Huntington Park, Columbus, Ohio, U.S.
11 Win 11–0 Danny Calhoun KO 1 (6), 0:59 Jun 9, 2017 St. Lucy's Palermo Hall, Youngstown, Ohio, U.S.
10 Win 10–0 Daniel Adotey Allotey KO 1 (6), 2:47 Apr 8, 2017 McBride Hall, Gary, Indiana, U.S.
9 Win 9–0 Adam Collins TKO 1 (6), 2:06 Dec 17, 2016 Mountaineer Casino Ballroom, New Cumberland, West Virginia, U.S.
8 Win 8–0 Robbie Mendez TKO 1 (4), 1:37 Oct 7, 2016 Radisson Hotel, Covington, Kentucky, U.S.
7 Win 7–0 Willie Jake Jr TKO 5 (6), 1:15 May 27, 2016 Old National Centre - Egyptian Room, Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.
6 Win 6–0 Wesley Triplett TKO 6 (6), ? Mar 26, 2016 Ukrainian Hall, Youngstown, Ohio, U.S.
5 Win 5–0 Kareem Brann TKO 1 (4), 2:28 Dec 12, 2015 Ring of Dreams Boxing Gym, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, U.S.
4 Win 4–0 Nicholas Thompson UD 4 Oct 17, 2015 Civic Center, Hammond, Indiana, U.S.
3 Win 3–0 Preston King KO 1 (4), 0:27 Aug 22, 2015 DeSander Pavilion, Saint Johns, Michigan, U.S.
2 Win 2–0 Vandale Slade TKO 1 (4), 1:40 Jun 26, 2015 Serbian American Cultural Center, Weirton, West Virginia, U.S.
1 Win 1–0 Deshawn Jenkins TKO 1 (4), 2:07 Apr 4, 2015 Riverside Ballroom, Green Bay, Wisconsin, U.S.

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Who is Jermaine Franklin?". britishboxingnews.co.uk. February 7, 2023. Retrieved January 13, 2026.
  2. ^ "Whyte labours to majority points win over Franklin". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on February 9, 2023. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
  3. ^ "Dillian Whyte edges out Jermaine Franklin | Could he now be Anthony Joshua's next opponent?". Sky Sports. Archived from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
  4. ^ "Whyte outpoints Franklin in later rounds for win". ESPN.com. November 27, 2022. Archived from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
  5. ^ "Jermaine Franklin says, 'I got robbed,' after Dillian Whyte defeat, Anthony Joshua shows respect". November 27, 2022. Archived from the original on February 9, 2023. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
  6. ^ "Joshua beats Franklin on points in London". BBC Sport.
  7. ^ "Itauma vs Franklin: Moses Itauma wins step-up fight with crushing fifth round stoppage". BBC Sport. March 28, 2026. Retrieved March 29, 2026.