ONE of the most eagerly anticipated fights in Britain for years takes place in Manchester tonight when Scott Quigg of Bolton and Belfast’s Carl Frampton meet for the WBA and IBF super-bantamweight titles they respectively hold, writes Martin Hannan.
The two unbeaten world champions will battle it out to become the world No 1, with the winner able to demand huge sums for future fights. It has the potential to be Britain’s fight of the decade, not least because the two boxers have considerable respect for each other, but also because their respective camps are at serious loggerheads.
WBA champion Quigg’s promoter Eddie Ahearn and his trainer Joe Gallagher make no secret of their dislike for their counterparts Barry and Shane McGuigan.
Frampton’s conquests include Lanarkshire’s former Scottish featherweight champion Kris Hughes, whom he stopped in the seventh round of first defence of his Commonwealth title in 2012.
The 29-year-old won the IBF title by beating Kiko Martinez of Spain in Belfast in 2014, and has defended it twice. He has a record of 21 wins, 14 of them by stoppage. Quigg, 27, is a clinical fighter who carries a dig – he has stopped nine of his last 12 opponents, and has an unbeateb record of 31 wins and two draws.
Both men comfortably made the 8st 10lbs limit at the weight in yesterday, with Quigg playing down the row in recent days about who should get the “home” dressing room accorded to the champion.“I’ll get changed at home if I have to,” he said. “It means nothing to me.”
After the traditional stare down, Frampton blew his opponent a kiss but denied it was an insult.
“This is the only real rivalry I’ve had in my career,” he said. “It’s been five years brewing and brewing, and getting bigger all the time. I took a step back and smiled and let them carry on. It’s all good and all part of the pantomime.”
It will be no laughing matter in Manchester tonight. This is going to be a very serious fight.
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