CARL FRAMPTON HAS scoffed at Amir Khan’s press-conference scuffle with upcoming opponent Phil Lo Greco as he prepares to go toe-to-toe with the Briton for TV-ratings supremacy on 21 April.
Khan’s comeback bout with Canadian gatekeeper Lo Greco will be broadcast on Sky Sports at the same time as Frampton welcomes four-weight world champion Nonito Donaire to his Belfast back yard live on rival network BT Sport.
Having been absent from the ring since a May 2016 knockout defeat to Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez, Khan was always unlikely to return against a formidable foe, but the choice of Lo Greco (28-3, 15KOs) has even still drawn criticism from boxing fans worldwide.
The 33-year-old ‘Italian Sensation’, a native of Toronto, has never fought for a world title, and his two most noteworthy bouts have resulted in rather timid defeats to Americans Shawn Porter and Errol Spence Jr.
Frampton, meanwhile, takes on his fellow former World Fighter of the Year Donaire in what’s an eagerly anticipated clash on either side of the Atlantic, with a strong all-Irish-flavoured undercard to boot.
During today’s Khan-Lo Greco press conference, Khan resorted to throwing a glass of water at his upcoming opponent when Lo Greco alluded to his recent marital trouble (which, per Khan’s own admission as well as that of his wife, Faryal Makhdoom, has since been resolved).
The ensuing mini-scuffle – with promoter Eddie Hearn sandwiched between April’s protagonists – was one of the few talking points to emerge from an otherwise non-descript affair.
WATCH: @amirkingkhan's pre-fight press conference with @Phil_Lo_Greco was temporarily halted after a scuffle broke out between the fighters! ? More here: https://t.co/v2l4iEpxqt #KhanLoGreco https://t.co/o6dmH8iosA
— Sky Sports Boxing (@SkySportsBoxing) January 30, 2018
Frampton, like many, wasn’t impressed by either Lo Greco nor Khan’s antics, inferring that the pair acted out to hype their fight due to its failure to capture the public imagination – on paper, at least.
The Frank Warren-promoted ‘Jackal’ responded to Matchroom Boxing on Twitter when Hearn’s promotional company excitably tweeted a video clip of the incident.
Frampton’s response contained an image of he and Donaire shaking hands as they came face-to-face for the first time at their official press conference in Belfast earlier this month, during which neither fighter deemed it necessary to speak ill of the other given theirs is a bout which, in essence, sells itself. (Note: Frampton and Donaire did engage in a war of words, but through the medium of song).
Meanwhile... No hype required #FramptonDonaire pic.twitter.com/H1IQzk682F
— Carl Frampton MBE (@RealCFrampton) January 30, 2018
Nonetheless, Frampton-Donaire will be at a disadvantage when it clashes with Khan-Lo Greco on 21 April for the simple reason that far more people are subscribed to Sky Sports than BT Sport.
Hearn’s decision to have Khan fight on the same night as Frampton was deemed petty by many – most notably his arch rival, Warren, who decried the fact that boxing fans would lose out on one major event on 21 April whatever their choosing.
Hearn – who attempted to sign Frampton following the Belfast featherweight’s split from Barry McGuigan, only to be turned down for Warren – maintains that confusion regarding Frampton’s fight date led to the clash: Frampton-Donaire was originally slated for 7 April by none other than Warren, whom it’s believed confused the date for Frampton-Donaire with that of his son’s wedding.
As such, Hearn reserved Liverpool’s Echo Arena for Khan’s comeback on 21 April believing there to be no clash, only to later discover that Frampton too will take to the ring across the Irish Sea on the same night.
