Three could be magic number as Frampton eyes chance to make history

SHOULD all go to plan for Carl Frampton against Darren Traynor in London on Saturday, he will get his opportunity to become a three-weight world champion in November.

Those were the words of Top Rank CEO Bob Arum on a video press conference last night ahead of The Jackal’s return to action for the first time since defeating Tyler McCreary in November.

Following that victory in Las Vegas, Herring joined Frampton and Arum in the ring to effectively announce a showdown between the pair that was due to take place on June 13 in Belfast, but the Covid19 pandemic put paid to those plans.

Herring has since suffered two postponements to a routine title defence against Jonathan Oquendo having twice tested positive for Covid-19, but will finally get the chance to return against the Puerto Rican in three weeks’ time.

Should he – as expected – and Frampton come through their respective assignments, Arum has insisted the delayed WBO superfeatherweight title showdown between the pair will take place in autumn, with or without fans in attendance.

Defend

“Jamel Herring will defend his title against Oquendo, finally. We had two postponements due to the coronavirus so that fight will take place on September 5,” he revealed yesterday.

“If Jamel is successful and if Carl is successful on Saturday, I have a date picked out in November when they will fight for the title – that is done and everybody is on board.

“One thing I can’t control is the virus but we are going to do that fight in November.

“It may be another ‘bubble’ (closed doors) fight with no fans, and I know we’ll have to get Carl over to the States to do it, but if both guys win these interim fights you can count on the fight between Herring and Frampton in November.”

Frampton confirmed that the opportunity to make history and become the first ever Irish boxer to win world titles at three weights is “a dream come true” but knows he can’t take his eye off the ball against late replacement Traynor at the BT Sport Studios tomorrow night.

He said that his approach to tomorrow’s 10-round fight at lightweight will not be about working on various tactics or shots with Herring in mind, but simply one where he intends to focus on himself and get the job done in clinical fashion.

Any slip-ups this weekend will see his dreams of taking on Herring vanish, so he has been reluctant to look too far ahead.