JACKO FIGHT TWIST
Tassie boxer could have been a contender for world title crack
UNBEATEN WBO Oriental featherweight champion Luke Jackson was just 24 hours from earning a world title fight with Oscar Valdez but his promoter already has the wheels in motion for another huge bout.
Jackson was gunning for a crack at Valdez last month, be- fore the Mexican WBO featherweight champion chose Britain’s Scott Quigg for his title defence. Quigg failed to make weight — meaning the belt was only on the line for Valdez — and while he improved his record to 24-0 he suffered a broken jaw in the fight, which has sidelined him indefinitely.
Northern Ireland’s Carl Frampton, a former two weight world champion, will fight Filipino boxing legend Nonito Donaire tonight to become the WBO interim featherweight champion.
Jackson’s promoter Adam Wilcox has told the Mercury that should Frampton, ranked fourth in the WBO rankings and the Tasmanian, who meets Argentinian Javier Herrerain next Friday, both triumph, a clash between the two is a distinct possibility. “He [Jackson] was no more than 24 hours away from fighting Valdez, but they threw that much money at Scott Quigg to go and fight him because they wanted what they perceived to be a big name or someone with a record,” Wilcox said.
“But he is not far down the pecking order at all, we have already started talks.
“Valdez was significantly injured in that fight, he cracked his orbital bone, so now he has been made champion in recess because no one knows how long he is going to be out for.
“Carl Frampton is now fighting Nonito Donaire the week before ‘Jacko’ for the interim title, we have pretty close links into that team.
“I have had one of my guys fight Frampton before, so should they both get through their fights, Frampton’s team are more than happy to either come to Tasmania, we could do it in the States or we could even do it in Belfast. That’s the prize on offer next Friday.”
Jackson is finalising his preparations for his bout against Herrerain, who holds a 15-1 record with eight knockouts, in Sydney before returning home this weekend.
Wilcox says the fight, which will take place at Wrest Point casino, promises to be a cracker.
“It is a completely fresh start [moving away from City Hall], that’s the main message,” Wilcox said. Tickets can be purchased via ticketmaster.com.au