Jackal eyes up a€2mpayday for next bout

Frampton ready to battle Warrington for title, writes David Kelly

CARL FRAMPTON is heading for one of the biggest pay-days of his career when he challenges IBF World featherweight champion Josh Warrington before the end of the year.

Frampton set up his date with Warrington, who was at ringside on Saturday night at Windsor Park, when beating Australian Luke Jackson in the ninth round – an emphatic finish to a clinical performance before a crowd of 25,000.

Now Frampton and Leeds fighter Warrington will meet, most likely at the 22,000 capacity Manchester Arena, in late November, early December and it will be on the new BT Sport pay-perview platform, which is good news for both fighters in regards to their purses.

PURSE

With a slice of the pay-per-view income on top of his purse, Frampton could well be set for a £2m (€2.2m) windfall against Warrington as the fight will generate huge interest.

Promoter Frank Warren said: “Carl and Josh Warrington is a dream fight. They’re both at the top of their game, they both have that will to win, you’re going to see something special – it’s going to be the best domestic fight for many, many years and it will happen before the end of the year.

“It should really be a stadium fight because both guys have just had their last fights in football stadiums, but we don’t want to wait until after Christmas for an outdoor fight because by that stage the guys could be bogged down in the demands of a mandatory title defence.

“The guys want the fight, this is the best fighting the best and the fans will love it and I think it says a lot about them that they want it and I’d like think it says a lot about us a promotional company because we could have let the two guys go on their separate ways and defend their titles, but it’s on.”

Frampton says he is relishing the chance to face Warrington on the back of his win over Jackson, believing – like Warren – the occasion will be something to behold.

“It is going to be one of the best atmospheres ever. He has great support and so do I. I think it will be the best atmosphere in world boxing,” said Frampton.

“I think it’s a fight that everyone will get excited about – I’m excited about it and so is Josh and the fans are going to get a very good fight.”

Frampton admitted that his next assignment brings greater risks, but greater reward, saying: “Josh Warrington’s a different task altogether. He had the biggest win of his career against Lee Selby. It’s not an easy fight, and it’s a big fight, especially in the UK and Ireland.”

Frampton (below) gave Jackson a brutal boxing lesson in the first fight to be staged at Windsor Park. The 31-year-old’s jab was on point, before he unleashed a body shot in the eighth round which broke the Australian’s resistance.

The Antrim man will start as the favourite against Warrington and a victory would mean he can pursue Stateside fights against either World Boxing Organisation champion Oscar Valdez or a trilogy fight with his fellow Mexican Leo Santa Cruz. It is one each in their two world-title contests.

Meanwhile, Tyson Fury dismissed suggestions that money is motivating him to fight with Deontay Wilder, even though he ideally would box again before challenging the dangerous American.

In what will be only the third fight of his comeback and despite having fought just 14 rounds in the previous three years, Fury will travel to Las Vegas in November to meet the WBC heavyweight champion.

EASE

He eased to victory against Francesco Pianeta on Saturday night amid clear signs of ring rust in Belfast, and will only be fighting under new trainer Ben Davison for just the third time.

In Vegas he will be paid the biggest purse of his career, significantly more than that earned as the mandatory challenger to Wladimir Klitschko, and one that at 30 will mean he never needs to fight again, but he insisted: “I’m not going into this for a pay cheque.

“I wouldn’t lose for £100 million; you can’t pay any amount of money for me to go to Vegas to get sparked out. If I didn’t believe I could win I’d pack up and retire.

“I don’t box to be second best or to make the numbers up, I box to be the best I can be.

“If I ain’t good enough so be it; I’m taking this fight because I know I can win. I know multi-millionaires and billionaires too, money doesn’t drive me.

“I’ll go to Vegas for free and fight Wilder. I’d rather have no money and win than £200 billion and lose.

“In an ideal world I could have done with another 10-round or 12-round fight; we know the world isn’t ideal.”