5. Lee Selby
Although currently operating at featherweight, the thought of either Frampton or Quigg taking on IBF king Lee Selby is an exciting one. Both are lucrative fights – that if made – would undoubtedly capture the interest of the boxing world. Selby is managed by Al Haymon – as is Carl Frampton – so theirs is a meet that would seem easy to make. And with Selby also being on the Matchroom books, a match-up with Quigg would also be an open goal.
A strong argument can be made for both Frampton and Quigg fighting Selby. Both would be intriguing match-ups, producing entertainment in their own right. One thing’s for sure, a Selby-Frampton/Quigg showdown would guarantee high pay-per-view figures, and money talks. That being said, it isn’t the most likely scenario. Selby’s intentions remain firmly fixed on the 126lbs division, and fights with Vasyl Lomachenko and Gary Russell Jnr currently make more sense.
4. Leo Santa Cruz
Leo Santa Cruz has already voiced his intentions of fighting the winner of Frampton-Quigg. The unbeaten featherweight champion, who takes on Kiko Martinez in California on the same night as the unification bout said: “It’s a very interesting fight between Frampton and Quigg. They’ve both been possible opponents for me and I hope that I do well that night and face the winner of that fight. I don’t care who it is, I want to fight them.”
It will be interesting to see how Santa Cruz handles Martinez first. The Spaniard has squared-off against both Carl (twice) and Scott (once) – being stopped on two of those occasions. If the Mexican can win in similar fashion, it opens up the possibility of a future meeting with Frampton or Quigg. Whether at super-bantamweight or featherweight, would be a decision for the fighters. But makes for a mouth-watering possibility nonetheless.
3. Nonito Donaire
It makes sense for the protagonists of the super-bantamweight division to fight one another. The current holder of the WBO strap, Nonito Donaire, has already fought one of them in Guillermo Rigondeaux – a unanimous decision loss in 2013 – and would be a prime candidate to face Carl Frampton or Scott Quigg. The 33-year-old Filipino is a dangerous operator, and would prove a thrilling test for either man. Donaire enjoyed a brief taste of success at 126lbs, when he overcame Simpiwe Vetyeka, to clinch the WBA Super World title. But after losing it in his next outing to tough Jamaican Nicolas Walters, he decided to move back down to super-bantamweight. Providing an outright winner emerges on Saturday night, whoever it may be has the option to fight Donaire, and unify three of the four recognised world titles. A feat seldom done.
2. Rematch
A rematch is completely dependent on the circumstances of Saturday night. If the bout is scored a draw, naturally there will be calls for a return bout. Similarly, if the fight ends controversially – like Carl Froch-George Groves l – a replay will be demanded. Otherwise, whoever comes out on top Saturday night, will have final say on whether it’ll happen again. We’ve seen an at-times-bumpy, but mutually beneficial deal made between both parties to ensure this fight happens. So it can only be assumed, that if a rematch is warranted, the same will happen. The financial implications alone outweigh any personal indifference that may begrudge one another a rematch.
1. Guillermo Rigondeaux
The fight all boxing fans want to see. Carl Frampton or Scott Quigg against the best super-bantamweight in the world, Guillermo Rigondeaux. Fights that have been seemingly avoided until now, but questions cannot go unanswered for much longer, especially after the Cuban made it clear that both are opponents he wants to face:
“Frampton and Quigg are both cowards for finding ways to avoid the best in their division. We wait in anticipation to see if the winner of a great fight between them would step up and step in the ring with me, so the whole world can see who the best 122 pound fighter is.”
In a bid to force Frampton or Quigg into a ring with him, Rigondeaux has agreed to fight in the UK. He takes on current British super-bantamweight champion, James ‘Jazza’ Dickens, on March 12 at the Echo Arena, Liverpool. It’ll be exciting to see whether the winner of this weekend’s unification fight will attend Rigondeaux-Dickens. If so, it could mark the beginning of promising negotiations.
