By Tim Royner: Carl Frampton will be challenging IBF featherweight champion Josh Warrington for his title on December 22 at the Manchester Arena, in Manchester, England, according to the Belfast Telegraph. The fight is said to be a done deal. Frampton-Warrington will be televised on BT Sports pay-per-view.
It’s too bad Warrington couldn’t be tested by a good fighter like Scott Quigg before facing Frampton, because it would be nice at least to see him tested once before taking the fight. It’s a bit early for Frampton and Warrington to be facing each other.
Frampton will have a chance to capture another world title after he lost his WBA featherweight title las year to Leo Santa Cruz in their rematch. Frampton has been taking it easy since then, beating Horacio Garcia, Nonito Donaire and Luke Jackson. Garcia arguably beat Frampton, but found himself on the losing end of what many boxing fans believe was an old fashioned hometown decision last November in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Frampton clearly beat Donaire by a 12 round unanimous decision last April, but he looked far from impressive in that fight.
For the fight to be on PPV, they’re going to need to include some other interesting fights because Frampton vs. Warrington might not be compelling enough to get people to want to purchase it. Warrington (27-0, 6 KOs) hasn’t done enough to view him and Frampton as a PPV worthy fight in the eyes of some boxing fans. Warrington recently beat a weight drained Lee Selby (26-2, 9 KOs) by a 12 round split decision last May to capture his IBF 126 pound title. If there are any other interesting fights on December 22, then it’s going to be tough to sell the Frampton vs. Warrington fight. They might be better off moving it if Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn sticks one of his big cards on the same night.
Frampton-Warrington isn’t a fight that will interest boxing fans outside of the UK unfortunately. The worldwide fans would prefer to see Frampton face unbeaten WBO featherweight champion Oscar Valdez, WBC champion Gary Russell Jr. or a rematch with Leo Santa Cruz, who beat him by a 12 round majority decision in January 2017.
Frampton recently defeated Luke Jackson by a 9th round knockout on August 18 at Windsor Park in Belfast. It was a mismatch and not an exciting fight for a lot of fans. It’s unclear why Frampton was put in with a guy like Jackson, because he should be good enough to beat better opposition than this.