Winning back world title means everything to Carl Frampton

CARL FRAMPTON aims to seal his status as an Irish boxing legend by beating IBF world featherweight champion Josh Warrington at the Manchester Arena later this month.

Two-weight world champion Frampton wants to leave a similar legacy to that of ex-manager Barry McGuigan and believes victory in the so-called โ€˜Battle of Britainโ€™ on December 22 โ€“ and a fourth global title โ€“ would suffice.

โ€œOf course it would,โ€ the 31-year-old said. โ€œIโ€™ve done pretty well in my career so far. Iโ€™ve won some big titles and unified a division and won a (world) title in a second division.

josh warrington and carl frampton public workout โ€“ hatton health and fitness
Carl Frampton is aiming to take his chance (Martin Rickett/PA)

โ€œBut to win back a title โ€“ this would mean, if not more than the rest, definitely as much as them. Itโ€™s going to be a big deal for me.โ€

McGuigan won the hearts of communities both sides of the Irish border when he became world featherweight champion in London in 1985.

The Clones Cyclone wore an image of the dove of peace on his shorts and helped unite a divided Ireland during his heyday in the ring.

Frampton enjoys similar appeal, but Leeds champion Warrington was roared to victory by a partisan Elland Road crowd when deposing Lee Selby of his crown in January.


Warrington is widely regarded as a bigger ticket seller, whileย Belfastโ€™s Frampton claims the neutral venue, where he defeated Scott Quigg in 2016 to retain his IBF crown and win the WBA version, will feel like home-from-home.

โ€œI train in Manchester now as well and I wonโ€™t say itโ€™s going be like a fight in Belfast, but it will not necessarily be like an away fight and Iโ€™m used to the arena,โ€ he said.

โ€œThe thing is with Leeds in particular, if youโ€™re not from Leeds you wonโ€™t support a Leeds fan.

โ€œSo his support will mainly be from Leeds and I can pick up support from obviously back home and around Manchester and other parts of the UK too.โ€

josh warrington was relentless when defeating lee selby to win the ibf world featherweight title at elland road in january
Josh Warrington was relentless when defeating Lee Selby to win the IBF world featherweight title at Elland Road in January (Dave Thompson/PA)

Warrington, 28, is renowned for his ardent following, but tends to agree with Framptonโ€™s assertion.

โ€œYes and no,โ€ Warrington said. โ€œSince I beat Lee Selby Iโ€™ve won a lot of fans over. A lot have bought into the way I won.

โ€œObviously the Leeds fans are massive, but that being said not many people like Leeds United and I obviously associate myself with Leeds United.

โ€œBut I think when I beat him Iโ€™ll win a lot more fans over. Itโ€™s not a popularity contest, itโ€™s a fight at the end of the day, so it doesnโ€™t really matter to me too much.โ€

josh warrington v carl frampton โ€“ press conference โ€“ the carriageworks
Leeds fan Josh Warrington says boxing is not a popularity contest (Danny Lawson/PA)

Warrington insists he still has plenty to prove after upsetting the odds to dethrone Selby.

โ€œIt feels like that,โ€ he added. โ€œI beat Selby and was still ranked number two in the British rankings behind Carl, which is funny because Iโ€™m world champion in the division.

โ€œBut I feel like Iโ€™m just getting started, that win against Lee was just part of more things to come.โ€

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