Lean, mean Frampton praises elite training as fight looms
CARL Frampton insists the boxing world will see “a lean, mean fighting machine” when he takes on four-weight world champion Nonito Donaire at Belfast’s SSE Arena on Saturday night.
The Jackal knows that victory over boxing legend Donaire will open the door to a world title shot and believes the overhaul of his training regime at the start of this camp will make sure he reaps the reward he craves
Frampton brought into his preparation a sports psychologist for the first time and linked up with the Manchester Institute of Health and Performance, who have closely monitored his performance on a daily basis for the past eight weeks.
The build-up to the fight has included a two-week stint in Tenerife, which included altitude training as he and gym-mates Conrad Cumnmings and Steven Ward, who are also on the card, churned out the miles running up Mount Teide. That was then followed by regular visits to the altitude chamber at the Manchester Insitute.
“I believe this new set-up is a great investment because this link-up is going to give me the best chance of giving optimum performances every time I enter the ring,” said Frampton.
“The main guy overlooking my new programme is Steve McGregor, who helped Rory McIlroy turn himself into a real athlete. You just have to look at the shape Rory is in to see how golf has moved on in terms of fitness.
“I feel that I needed to make this move because I have to get the most out of my career over the next few years and I don’t want to have any regrets. I have access to everything I need for world-class strength and conditioning. The Institute is seen as the best in the world — there’s a chiropractor, a hand specialist who has helped Amir Khan and Ricky Hatton and a nutritionist, Sharmain Davis, who has put me on a new diet.
“There has been no guess work at all in terms of my whole preparation. They have been monitoring me on a daily basis, testing me at the start, the middle and at the end of the eight weeks they were shocked at the improvement. In fact they said it was as if I had been working for 12 weeks so that shows you the shape I’m in for this big fight with Donaire.
“But it’s not just for this fight, they’re going to be monitoring me the whole year round. It’s going to make me more accountable an elite athlete.”
Frampton now hopes that all the changes will add up to a sparkling performance in the Jackal’s Den. • PAUL Hyland Jnr ( above) warmed up for his British lightweight title showdown against Lewis Ritson on June 16 with a fourth round stoppage win over David Birmingham at the Europa Hotel on Saturday night.
Birmingham, a late replacement for Floyd Moore showed plenty of ambition but Hyland seemed to have his him in trouble with a right hand, only for the Portsmouth man to cover up and survive.
It was a similar story in the second and third as Hyland (left), a little over eager, continued to dictate the pace.
The Belfast man settled down a little in the fourth and picked his shots a little better with a right to the body forcing Birminghamto cover up and as Hyland launched a further assault the towel came in at 51 seconds of the round.
Dublin welter Jay Byrne got back to winning ways when defeating Belfast’s James Gorman over four rounds