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Carl Frampton could be dealt a blow before he gets the opportunity to become a three-weight world champion.
The Belfast boxer has agreed to terms to challenge Jamel Herring for the WBO super-featherweight world title before the coronavirus pandemic hit, with his promoter Frank Warren stating that a date and venue for the fight to be revealed soon.
Frampton, who had hoped to take on the American former marine in June at Windsor Park in his home city, may have to travel to the States as he attempts to add the WBO 130-pound belt to his haul of WBA ‘regular’ and IBF super-bantamweight titles and the WBA Super title at featherweight.
And Jamie Conlan, the vice-president of management company MTK, told the Belfast Telegraph that the big Northern Ireland stadium night –– akin to the one back in August 2018 when Frampton stopped Luke Jackson inside nine rounds to retain the WBO interim crown –– is unlikely to happen.
“Of course, Carl would love the fight with Herring to be at Windsor Park, but this virus means realistically we can’t do it there,” he said. “The thing about boxing –– unlike, say, football –– is that you can’t just go straight back into the ring when the lockdown is lifted because you need around eight weeks of preparation to fight once a date and venue are set, so at best big fights won’t be happening until September.”
Frampton was last in action against Tyler McCreary back in November at the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas and while he has hit out at the critics of a potential fight against Herring heading across the pond, it seems a realistic possibility, with it very likely that the US is back to normal quicker than the UK.
“When we first discussed Carl’s fight with Herring in Vegas last year, Bob Arum was the strongest advocate for it happening in Belfast and that would be ideal, but now we are looking at Madison Square Garden as a serious option for the fight,” Conlan, whose brother Michael saw his fourth scheduled headline clash at the Hulu Theater at the venue –– set for March 17 –– cancelled due to the pandemic, continued. “Carl has never boxed at the Garden and it is one of those iconic arenas that every fighter wants to box in.
“From speaking to Carl, his mindset is now that while Belfast is his number one preference, he just wants to get the fight on.
“The one big positive for Carl is that he has a gym in his garage, so he can keep training, keep doing his strength and conditioning and also go for good runs.
“Herring won’t have that kind of option, so Carl will be ahead of the curve.”
Details regarding the fight, including date and venue, will be revealed soon.