By Charles Brun: Former two division world champion Carl Frampton (26-2, 15 KOs) will be taking a 10 round tune-up fight against 25-year-old journeyman opponent Emmanuel Dominguez (26-8-2, 18 KOs) on August 10 on Top Rank Boxing at the Liacouras Center, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Frampton-Dominguez card begins on ESPN+ at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT.
Frampton facing Dominguez in tune-up
Frampton, 32, lost his last fight against IBF featherweight champion Josh Warrington last December in Manchester, England. With the loss, Frampton needs a confidence builder, and a tune-up to get him ready for his next fight against WBO featherweight champion Oscar Valdez later this year. That’s the big fight. With Frampton fighting in the United States, it’ll give him a badly needed opportunity to win over the American boxing fans with his showcase fight against Dominguez before he challenges the unbeaten Valdez later this year.
Two years ago, Frampton lost to Leo Santa Cruz in a rematch in Las Vegas, Nevada. The fight was close, but Santa Cruz appeared to edge it out. That was the second time those two fighters had fought each other in the U.S. In their previous fight in New York, Frampton won a close, controversial 12 round decision in front of a pro-Frampton crowd. Frampton wanted a trilogy fight with Santa Cruz in his hometown of Belfast, Northern Ireland, but the California native declined that request.
Dominguez not expected to give Frampton problems
Frampton is capable of beating far better opposition than Dominguez. It’s unclear why Frampton’s handlers are matching him weakly for this fight, because Dominguez won’t prepare him in the slightest for what he’s going to be facing when he shares the ring with WBO featherweight champion Valdez in 2019.
Dominguez was recently knocked out in three rounds by Jordan Gill last March. We just saw Gill lose to Enrique Tinoco (18-5-4, 13 KOs) by an eighth round stoppage last May. In other words, Frampton could do a lot better than Dominguez.
The Mexican journeyman Dominguez also has losses to the following fighters: Toka Kahn Clary, Enrique Bernache, Salvador Juarez, Emmanuel Navarette, Juan Jose Rodriguez, Rodriguez Adrian Campos and Luis Felipe Guiza. You get the idea. Dominguez is a journeyman, and he’s being brought in to make Frampton look good. This is a fight that Frampton should win with flying colors, but you never know.
Dominguez says Frampton is looking passed him towards Oscar Valdez fight
“Carl Frampton is already looking ahead to an Oscar Valdez fight, which gives me added motivation,” Dominguez said. “I am not a stepping stone. I am coming to Philadelphia prepared to ruin Carl’s plans.”
It’s obvious that Frampton is looking beyond the Dominguez fight towards the Valdez contest, but that’s to be expected. His handlers have selected a lesser fighter for him to beat up, and of course he’s not taking him seriously.
Frampton has a lot to prove
There’s a general perception out there with a lot of boxing fans that Frampton is over-the-hill. His loss to Warrington in his last fight, and his poor performances in close wins over Nonito Donaire and Horacio Garcia bare that out. The only fights in the last four years that Frampton looked good were against Luke Jackson and Chris Avalos. Those are weak opponents. Frampton struggled in fights against Santa Cruz, Donaire, Garcia, Scott Quigg, Warrington and the late Alejandro Gonzalez Jr. Carl didn’t look at all good in those fights, and it appears he’s lost a step. Top Rank Boxing’s decision to put Frampton in with Oscar Valdez will give him a good payday, but it’s not a fight that he has a decent shot at winning. If Frampton still has it in him to be one of the elite level featherweights, he’ll destroy Dominguez in three rounds or less.