By Scott Gilfoid: Barry McGuigan, the promoter for IBF super bantamweight champion Carl Frampton (19-0, 13 KOs), believes that the 27-year-old Frampton will soon be making a name for himself in the United States, as well as in the UK. Frampton will be facing American Chris Avalos (25-2, 19 KOs) next month on February 28th at the Odyssey Arena, in Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom.
Unfortunately for Frampton and McGuigan, Avalos isn’t a big enough name for Frampton to get any real attention in beating him. I mean, Avalos is pretty an unknown in the U.S, so a win over him will do zero for making a name for Frampton in America.
“Having more than one way to box is great for a fighter’s longevity, but more importantly it makes him marketable on both sides of the Atlantic,” McGuigan said via the mirror.co.uk.
Honestly, there’s no way that Frampton becomes a big name in the U.S until he takes the risk of facing WBA super bantamweight champion Guillermo Rigondeaux and proves that he can best the Cuban star.
If Frampton can beat Rigondeaux, then, yeah, he’ll start making a name for himself in the United States. But since McGuigan has shown no interest in matching Frampton up against Rigondeaux, I just don’t see Frampton making any kind of name for himself in America. If Frampton can beat guys like Abner Mares, Leo Santa Cruz, Nicholas Walters, Nonito Donaire and Vasyl Lomachenko, then he’d be making a name for himself in the U.S. But I seriously doubt that McGuigan is going to let Frampton face any of those guys, because those fighters are a huge leap up from the guys that Frampton has been facing during his six-year pro career.
“Taking nothing for granted, because Avalos is a spiky character who will take some beating, but this kid has already set the world alight in Belfast: Now he’s going to be a household name across the British mainland and in America,” McGuigan said.
McGuigan is kidding himself if he thinks that a win over Avalos is going to make Frampton a household name in the U.S. That’s just dream stuff on McGuigan’s part. He can’t do it on the cheap. If McGuigan wants Frampton to become a household name in America, then he’s going to have to throw to the wolves by putting him in with Rigondeaux, Lomachenko, Gary Russell Jr, Donaire, Walters, Santa Cruz and Mares. Those are the guys that Frampton needs to fight to become a star in the U.S, not Avalos.
Heck, fighting Avalos will do nothing for Frampton, absolutely nothing. If he wants to make a name for himself, he’s going to need to convince McGuigan that he’s got the talent to hang with the best fighters at 122 and 126.
Personally, I don’t think Frampton can beat any of the aforementioned fighters. I mean, he might be able to beat Scott Quigg, but I don’t rate Quigg as being anywhere near as good as the top super bantamweights and featherweights.
I hate to say it but if McGuigan wants Frampton to become a star in America, he’s going to need to show that he has faith in him by putting him in with Lomachenko, Rigondeaux, Russell Jr, Donaire, Walters and Santa Cruz. If he doesn’t have faith, then he needs to keep matching him the way he’s been.
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