CARL FRAMPTON BELIEVES now is the perfect time for him to face Scott Quigg.
Disputes over the purse among other issues have meant the encounter has been a long time in the making, but the Belfast native suggests such delays have been a blessing in disguise.
“I think it’s a bigger fight (now). We’ve both raised our profiles. The fact that I’ve gone to terrestrial a couple of times has massively helped us out.
“There’s a lot more hype around the fight now than there would have been another time. In retrospect, it’s happening at the right time. It’s a chance for both fighters to earn a lot of dough, get the names out there and become more and more recognisable. So I think it’s probably the right time for it to happen.”
As far his opponent is concerned, Frampton, while being respectful of Quigg’s ability, insists he is far from intimidated by the prospect of facing him.
I think he’s definitely an improved fighter. But I think I’ve improved in leaps and bounds. I suppose people are looking at our last performances and making a lot out of that. But that was me at my worst and I still won comfortably.
“I’m feeling good and I think out of the two of us, I’ve probably improved more than him.”
David Haye and George Groves share a trainer (Shane McGuigan) and a gym with Frampton, who says that having the duo at close quarters is a major benefit.
“They’re good characters and they’re big names, two of the most recognisable names in British boxing. They train hard. There’s no airs or graces about them.
They know pain is the cause when it comes to training. There’s a lightheartedness about it as well. We can always have a bit of a laugh, which is what I like. Boxing’s a serious enough game as a sport. You have to make it as enjoyable and as fun as possible.
“I think we’re all learning off each other. I’m a world champion in my own right, but I look at these guys and see them as big names. So it’s a good relationship.”
Another influential presence in the Frampton camp is manager Barry McGuigan who. of course, is no stranger to big fights himself, having been a former World Boxing Association featherweight champion.
“In the gym, Shane is the boss,” Frampton explains. “I listen to Shane and do whatever he tells me to do. He comes up with the tactic and the gameplan.
“But Barry is in the gym pretty much every day. He’s unbelievable at motivation. He can really fire you up. You’re listening to someone who’s been there and done it… He’s been involved in some huge fights.
So Barry’s been great for my career. He’s really guided me well. He trained me from the very start, but now Shane has taken over completely, but Barry’s ability to get you fired up and motivated is unbelievable.”
McGuigan’s relationship with his protégé goes back a long way, having encountered him initially as a young up-and-coming hopeful.
“I was in awe of him at the beginning. I suppose he’s still well recognised in the UK but in Ireland, he’s a hero really, for what he did, not only in boxing, but bringing the community together in the height of the Troubles as well. So people respect him a lot.
I remember the first time I met him. It was a ‘fight for peace’. They had Brazilian amateur boxers over in Belfast. He spoke to me and I got a glove signed by him. It was all pretty nice.
“I remember the phone call when he offered for me to go down to the training camp after the worlds. Really it was just a simple decision then to go with him in the end. There were a few other people that said they were interested as well, but it was an easy decision to make.”
And did McGuigan’s strong belief in Frampton from the beginning inspire the 29-year-old to reach his current heady heights?
“I think it could have. He was drilling it into me all the time. At the start of my career, I always questioned my engine as well and (thought about) leaving stuff in reserve. I was never emptying the tank, I always kept things in reserve.
Barry was drilling it into me all the time that I’ve got a big engine. That was one of the main things. And he was telling me as a former world champion, so I would listen. So he made me believe it almost and he drilled it into me, so now I know that I’m one of the best fighters
“I genuinely feel as if I’m part of the McGuigan family. They’ve all kind of taken me in, they’ve all look after me. Not just Barry, but (his wife) Sandra. They’ve done my clothes, they’ve done everything.
“We’re a very close-knit team. There’s a lot of trust and that’s something you can’t really say about too many boxers. Trust is an issue that I’d say probably 95% of boxers in the world (struggle with). They don’t actually have trust in the teams around them, but I’ve complete trust in what the McGuigans are doing with me and how they’re aiding my career. If you put all that together, it makes for a better man really. I’ve been very privileged.”
And returning to Quigg, Frampton says he ignores his upcoming opponent’s attempts at provocation.
“I don’t really think a lot of it, to be honest. I think all he’s trying to do is wind me up. He’s a bit annoyed that they didn’t get to me when they did ‘The Gloves Are Off’ thing. I just sat back in the seat and let him talk.
I thought he came across as cocksure and a little more arrogant than he usually seems. But I don’t really think about what’s in his head. I don’t know if he thinks about it himself, to be honest. But I don’t really care.”
And as for his prospects at the Manchester Arena on Saturday night, Frampton is clear when asked if he has any concerns about the Bury-born fighter.
“The way I’ve been performing and the way I’ve been in the gym, no. If I can take that into the ring with me, then I’m going to win this fight quite comfortably. I’ve always believed that.
“I believe that I’m a better fighter than him. And there’s nothing that really worries me about him. I know he’s a good fighter, I know he’s a dangerous fighter and I know I’ll need to be on my game. But if I turn up at my best, I know (I’ll beat him).”
Frampton v Quigg is live on Sky Sports Box Office on Saturday 27 February. Buy now at skysports.com/framptonquigg.
