CARL FRAMPTON explained the key to his victory over Nonito Donaire on Saturday at the SSE Arena in Belfast. โIt was back to basics. It was a well executed gameplan. As you seen late on, Nonito was a dangerous puncher throughout. So I couldnโt get too reckless. The plan was to box from the outside and use my jab, which I think was brilliant tonight. And then when I got close, stay close. The only real time when I was caught in the middle distance was when I got nailed in the 11th round and that was it,โ Frampton said.
โHe hurt me with a shot but Iโve been hurt worse. He put the pressure on but I rode the storm. And thatโs what champions do.โ
โThe plan was to push him back and keep him off balance. Not let him set his feet, force him backwards on the ropes,โ he continued. โDonaireโs a really dangerous counter-puncher. But my distance and my jab controlled things. Iโd seen what he was trying to do. He was trying to come in with a double jab, he was trying to nail the right hand and it didnโt land too often. I think my focus was spot on tonight there. So itโs up there as one of my better performancesโฆ It wasnโt rocket science. It was basic boxing. A good jab and when I got close, I stayed close. That was the gameplan and thatโs what won me the fight. I didnโt have to be too flash. I didnโt have to overdo things.
โI knew that I had to be disciplined. I knew that heโs a terrific counter-puncher so I couldnโt fall into his traps. I seen what he was trying to do, I seen that right hand coming so many times. I donโt know, my focus was just razor sharp.โ
They hurt one another but Frampton was always in command. โI stepped back and just nailed him with a jab and I seen him shaking his head a bit. I hurt him a number of times. I hurt him to the body as well. He nailed me with a good body in the first round, he sunk one in as well. Again there was no one beating me tonight,โ he said.
His next move will be to fight in front of 20,000 fans in Windsor Park. โIโm very excited. Itโs been a long time coming,โ he said. โWhoever it is I donโt care.โ
Frampton has beaten and then lost to WBA featherweight champion Leo Santa Cruz. Heโd love to complete a trilogy with the Mexican but doubts Santa Cruz will come to Northern Ireland. โThatโs a fight that interests me the Santa Cruz fight. Itโs one each, it makes sense. Heโs having a fight with [Abner] Mares that doesnโt make a lot of sense. Heโs beaten him. It was a decent fight the first time but he won the fight clear, I think everyone would agree. I donโt see much point in the rematch. There was a trilogy that could have been made and he doesnโt want to play ball,โ Frampton said.
He will attend Lee Selbyโs and Josh Warringtonโs IBF featherweight title clash on May 19 and fighting the victor will be an option. But he won an Interim title from the WBO and hopes that their champion, Oscar Valdez will be ready to fight him in August. โIโd love the Valdez fight. That would be very, very tasty,โ Carl said. โHeโs a great fighter. I remember watching him in the Olympics against John Joe Nevin and he got the head boxed off him but dropped Nevin. Heโs a better pro than he is an amateur and he went to the Olympic Games. A terrific fighter, a good puncher, ferocious, good style, fan friendly, exciting but heโs very hittable and I think Iโd box but I could outfight him.
โI think it was a very good performance [for Valdez against Scott Quigg]. If you watched the highlights on Sky you would think it was a competitive fight. It wasnโt a competitive fight. He beat Quigg convincingly. I donโt want to keep talking about Scott Quigg. But it was almost cheating what he done. He missed the weightย … and then he didnโt do a check weigh in the next day. You could see with his tactics he was trying to bully and use his strength but Valdez stuck to game plan and I think won comfortably.โ
But Frampton warned, โThereโs a determination about me now. A new mindset, a new team, everything is just going the way it should be.โ