CARL FRAMPTON HAD barely caught his breath after last Saturday’s fight with Leo Santa Cruz when the question of his next opponent was raised.
It’s a natural occurrence of course to ask the winning fighter about his next move and Frampton’s reply was to the point.
“I want to fight the best. I want to be involved in big memorable fights,” claimed the 29-year old.
The Belfast native has made it quite clear that he is not content holding onto his belt by fighting insignificant names. He wants the biggest fights the division has to offer.
So who are the possible opponents for The Jackal, considering where he will possibly face them and which bouts are the most likely to happen.
Leo Santa Cruz
After Santa Cruz and Frampton produced a contender for Fight of the Year last Saturday, the likelihood of a rematch appears to lean towards being a certainty rather than a possibility.
Immediately after the fight, Frampton did not hesitate in offering Santa Cruz an opportunity to come to Belfast to try a reclaim his belt.
Although the idea of bringing the 27-year old to Windsor Park in front of 20,000 Irish fans is one which would generate extreme levels of excitement this side of the Atlantic, the money generated from the fight would still be minuscule in comparison to what could be achieved in the States.
The new featherweight champion has spoken of his desire to earn as much as he can before retirement and the lure of the lucrative US market may be too tempting to resist.
Every fighter loves the emotional prospect of bringing a big title fight to their hometowns. Andy Lee tried to bring Billy Joe Saunders to Thomond Park, Conor McGregor flirted with the notion of bringing the UFC to Croke Park but money always plays a pivotal factor in the decision-making process.
Santa Cruz has already expressed a desire of bringing the fight to Los Angeles and with Winter looming in Northern Ireland, the probable outcome is a return to New York for what is the biggest fight available in the division.
Lee Selby
Although a rematch between Frampton and Santa Cruz is probably the natural first choice for the Belfast boxer, we know that Selby and Frampton have a lot of mutual respect for each other.
The new two-weight world champion has expressed a desire to fight at least once a year in Belfast and a showdown with the Welsh fighter is probably the most likely to happen this side of the Atlantic.
It is questionable whether or not he will return to fight in Northern Ireland immediately as he has just made a massive name for himself in the States. When he does eventually return, Selby is likely to be leading candidate to face him.
Both fighters hold featherweight titles and a unification fight would generate huge interest in Ireland and the UK.
“The Jackal” hasn’t fought at the Titanic Quarter since winning his first world title against Kiko Martínez in 2014. The prospect of creating a similar spine-tingling atmosphere, this time with Selby as an opponent, is an enticing scenario for Frampton’s camp.
Gary Russell Jr
If Frampton sets out in search of another big money fight in the US other than Santa Cruz, it would be impossible for him not to cast eyes over Gary Russell Jr.
The current WBC featherweight champion boasts one of the quickest pair of hands in boxing as Irishman Patrick “Pajo” Hyland discovered in April.
The American was present at Barclays Center last weekend vocalising his intentions to unify belts on Showtime Boxing. The boxer was also involved in a tense exchange with IBF belt holder Lee Selby as he took exception to the Welshman’s belief that he didn’t offer as big a fight as others in the division.
Russell Jr has never fought outside the United States and it would be unlikely for him to travel to Ireland to fight Frampton. Then again, most people thought it was highly unlikely for Frampton to get a win against Santa Cruz – including this writer.
The 28-year old struggled to make weight for his last fight against Hyland and could yet decide to move up a division to fight Vasyl Lomachenko, the only man who has managed to beat him since he turned professional.
Guillermo Rigondeaux
Frampton has expressed his willingness to fight any fighter including Guillermo Rigondeaux, although he isn’t very enthusiastic about fighting the Cuban.
Many criticise the Shane McGuigan-trained boxer for dodging a possible fight with one of best pound-for-pound fighters in the world. Unfortunately for the 35-year-old, he isn’t very marketable.
Rigondeaux is a high risk, low yield option for Frampton who has already stated that he is conscious of his age, and wanting to earn as much as possible before retirement is understandable.
“Rigo doesn’t bring a pound to the table. That’s just the way it is. He’s an unbelievable fighter but there’s no money in the fight,” claimed the 29-year old at last Saturday’s post-fight conference.
If Frampton does decide to respond to the Cuban’s callouts on Twitter by accepting the fight, it would be the ultimate gesture of sportsmanship.
In contrast to other big names, a fight with Rigondeaux would definitely be in Belfast if it was to happen. Much smaller names would still generate a lot more revenue for “The Jackal” so this contest remains highly unlikely.
Scott Quigg
Similar to Santa Cruz, Quigg is extremely keen to get another crack at Frampton in the near future.
Frampton’s impressive win on Saturday night hasn’t deterred him either as he took to Twitter, like many others, outlining his eagerness for a rematch. Matchroom boxing chief Eddie Hearn has also stated that a rematch is definitely on the cards in Belfast.
The Englishman will find it very hard to stand up above the crowd as he neither holds a world title belt nor offers an opportunity into a market Frampton has yet to develop his name in.
But the 27-year old does have Eddie Hearn in his corner, a highly influential force in boxing in the UK having promoted some of the biggest fights this side of the Atlantic in recent times.
If fights aren’t materialising the way the Northern Ireland man was hoping, a rematch with Quigg is an appealing fallback with the former world champion probably having to move up to meet Frampton in his division.
Other possibilities
Josh Warrington is currently on the lookout for a world title fight after beating Patrick “Pajo” Hyland last weekend. Frampton would be a huge task for the Leeds man yet to have a fight against one of the big names in the division and Eddie Hearn’s man will most likely avoid him for now.
Vasyl Lomachenko has won an Olympic gold medal in two divisions and is quickly making a name for himself as a possible future number one pound-for-pound boxer. He has recently moved up a division but if he did move down again, he could present a even greater risk than that of Rigondeaux.
Nonito Donaire would be another high-grossing fight in the United States. The Filipino was regarded by many as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world before he lost to Guillermo Rigondeaux in 2013. He currently holds the WBO world super bantamweight title and has previously held Frampton’s WBA super world featherweight belt.
Oscar Valdez is the current WBO world featherweight champion. He isn’t as well known as some of Frampton’s other options but he is a highly dangerous knockout artist having knocked out 18 out of 20 opponents in an unbeaten professional career.
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