NOT CONTENT WITH being a two-weight world boxing champion, Carl Frampton is now targeting going where no Irish boxer has gone before — he wants the hat-trick.
‘The Jackal’ had a 2016 to remember, beating previously undefeated fighters in different divisions and becoming just the second Irish two-weight world champion, matching the achievement of Steve Collins.
The Belfast native takes on Mexico’s Leo Santa Cruz in Las Vegas at the end of this month in an eagerly-anticipated rematch of their bout last July, which came just five months after his super bantamweight win against Scott Quigg.
But Frampton is already looking beyond his featherweight rematch at the MGM Grand and thoughts of conquering a third division are weighing heavily on his mind.
“I want to be a three-weight world champion,” he told Sky Sports.
“That is the goal. It wasn’t necessarily at the start of my career, when you reach targets you set new goals and Steve Collins is the only other Irishman to hold world titles in different divisions, so I want to stand alone.”
Of his rematch with Santa Cruz, Frampton is confident he can win the second edition by knockout after a productive training camp.
“I’ve been putting a bit more emphasis on to my shots,” Frampton added.
“I was throwing a lot of shots the last time…if I put in twos and threes and put a bit of meat into them, and meet him as he comes in, yeah, I think I can knock him out.
“It’s going to be a 14-week camp from start to finish. It’s been a long one, over Christmas and stuff which is never easy, but needs must and I need to be in the gym training hard.
“It’s been good, I’ve been sparring well. I’m 30 but I feel like I’ve been getting better.”
Frampton has already been linked with a featherweight unification bout against Welsh IBF world champion Lee Selby, potentially in Windsor Park later this year.
But a move up to another division also seems to be on the cards for ‘The Jackal’, with Ukrainian WBO champion Vasyl Lomachenko believed to be his most likely opponent at super featherweight.
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