CARL FRAMPTON WAS named ESPN’s Fighter of the Year last night.
Just the second European boxer to achieve the feat, the Belfast man joins the likes of Floyd Mayweather Jr., Manny Pacquiao and Bernard Hopkins as winners of the US based global broadcaster’s award.
He beat three-time winner Pacquiao to the title, as well as Vasyl Lomachenko and 2014 winner Terence Crawford.
The 29-year-old posted on his Instagram account that he was “privileged and honoured” to win the award.
“Being even considered as a fighter of the year is a huge honour for me and very humbling,” Frampton said, who is undefeated in 23 contests.
“But the thing is, I’m kicking off 2017 with a bang and it has the potential to be even better than ‘16.”
Frampton had a 2016 to remember, making history to become a two-weight world champion.
‘The Jackal” defeated the previously unbeaten Leo Santa Cruz in July to win the WBA featherweight title, following up his super-bantamweight title win over England’s Scott Quigg in February.
Subsequently, Frampton etched his name into history as he became the first Northern Ireland fighter to win world titles at two weights.
Frampton is set for a rematch with Santa Cruz in Las Vegas next month.
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Ireland a hotbed of rugby football? Seriously?
@Richard Ford: Really, you felt it necessary to make such a comment?
@Der Calnan: . It’s a legitimate point.
@Richard Ford: Only in south Dublin, and parts of Limerick & Cork cities.
GAA / soccer would be far more widely played than rugby union.
@Colm O’Sullivan: Yup. I agree entirely. That’s the point I was making.
Don’t want to be a harbinger of doom for the lad, but if he’s this injury prone at 20, it’s not a great sign. The new brighton gaffer doesn’t appear to rate him at all either. Maybe Potter might be good for him if he goes to the Hammers.