What Carl Frampton needs to fight on

CARL FRAMPTON will discuss his future on Thursday after considering retirement following his defeat by Josh Warrington.

The 31-year-old is to meet his promoter Frank Warren, and is hoping for an attractive offer to fight on having concluded after losing to Warrington last month that he needed to retire.

Since a family holiday in Dubai โ€”ย spent partly with his trainer Jamie Moore โ€”ย and conversations with others Frampton believes he remains capable of winning another world featherweight title.

Yet with a court case with the McGuigans and Cyclone Promotions set for May and the knowledge that the brutal fight with Warrington brought the end of his career closer, the Northern Irishman will tell Warren he is unwilling to drop down in level.

carl frampton suffered his second professional defeat against josh warrington (martin rickett/pa wire)
Carl Frampton suffered defeat against Josh Warrington last month (Martin Rickett/PA Wire)

โ€œAfter the fight I was done,โ€ he told Press Association Sport. โ€œImmediately after the fight, โ€˜Thatโ€™s me, Iโ€™m never going to box againโ€™, so much so I said to my wife [Christine] โ€˜Iโ€™m done, I donโ€™t want to do this anymoreโ€™.

โ€œBut things have changed; my opinionโ€™s changed. The fight wasnโ€™t how it was meant to go; I didnโ€™t carry the game plan.

โ€œPeople who wouldnโ€™t have any financial benefit from it have told me Iโ€™ve plenty left and I thought. โ€˜Do you know what? It was a f****** bad nightโ€™. The weight was okay; it was something else, and I still know Iโ€™ve got enough left.

โ€œIf Iโ€™d been getting beaten up in sparring that may have been time, but I sparred well and was in good shape going into the fight, but I didnโ€™t carry out the game plan.


โ€œThe first two rounds took a lot out of me as well; I underestimated his power, and it just wasnโ€™t me, a typical performance. I usually get up on my toes and move around.โ€

Frampton is suing his former manager and promoter Barry McGuigan, his wife Sandra, and Cyclone Promotions on multiple grounds, including alleged withheld earnings from fights and a breach of the terms of an international promotional agreement.

In turn, Frampton faces an action from them for an alleged breach of contract, potentially a significant distraction, but he insists neither is a concern.

โ€œItโ€™s nothing Iโ€™m worried about, Iโ€™m sleeping easy,โ€ he said, maintaining it will not influence whether he fights again.

โ€œIโ€™m going to see Frank on Thursday and see what the options are. Iโ€™ll hopefully know pretty soon.โ€

Bob Arum, the promoter of WBO champion Oscar Valdez, has also spoken of Frampton as a potential challenger to the dangerous Mexican.

โ€œIt depends on what I get offered,โ€ he adds. โ€œThe last thing I want is Horacio Garcia, Nonito Donaire, Luke Jackson to get a shot at a world title again.

โ€œI want to be walking into a big fight again or the premise of one fight and then a big fight, but Iโ€™m not prepared to go around the houses again.โ€

:: Carl Frampton was talking at the thinkBeyond Talent launch event, overseen byย Benchmark Talent

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