JAMIE AND ‘THE JACKAL’
Jamie Moore tells Terry Dooley how and why Carl Frampton chose him to be his new partner in crime
Moore explains why Carl Frampton chose him as his new coach
CARL FRAMPTON has been ringing the changes recently. The former twoweight world champion has struck out on his own after splitting with long-time mentor and manager Barry Mcguigan, who he turned professional with in 2009. The Belfast boxer partially unified the super-bantamweight division under Mcguigan’s watch, as well as adding the WBA featherweight title to their haul by beating Leo Santa Cruz on a majority decision last year.
Santa Cruz flipped the script on Frampton by winning the title back via the same result in January, then a comeback fight against Andres Gutierrez in July was spiked after the Mexican slipped in the shower and withdrew from the contest. Shortly after, Frampton announced that he is taking control of his own destiny as he moves into the endgame phase of his career.
Frampton also confirmed that he has decided to split with trainer and Barry’s son, Shane, and has joined Jamie Moore’s growing camp of fighters. Moore told Boxing News that he can forge a winning partnership with the 30-year-old.
“Carl’s ended up in sunny Salford with me [inset]. The universe has brought us together,” said Moore. “I got a message from him the other week asking for my phone number so we could speak about something. My wife Colleen, AKA Mystic Meg, had predicted it the week before when the news came out that he’d left Shane [Mcguigan].
“We were friendly when we bumped into each other in the same way that you are with any other boxer, but we weren’t friends,” he added. “Carl mentioned me on Twitter when I picked him to beat Scott Quigg, everyone had expected me to pick Scott as he’s from Manchester. Carl said I knew my boxing, it was a throwaway comment.”
Arguably the biggest draw in the division, Frampton would have been able to pick and choose who to join after leaving the Mcguigans, and Moore said that he was recommended to Frampton by someone close to home. “Carl had not considered me until his dad told him that he liked the way I was in the corner,” he revealed. “He came over to see how he’d fit in, we worked well together so he said: ‘Let’s do it.’”
Some trainers are happy to work as guns for hire. Moore, though, believes that chemistry plays a key role in coaching. He wanted to make sure that the two of them gelled before making a commitment.
“I think that having the right chemistry and connection is a massive part of being able to train someone,” he said. “I’ve got a lot of lads in my gym now as I’m looking after Oliver [Harrison’s] fighters Martin Murray and Rocky Fielding while he recovers [from complications caused by recent surgery]. I’ve got to get an insight into their personalities before they join my gym because I enjoy what I do and don’t want to have to go to work with someone if I don’t enjoy it.
“Carl is a great lad, he has a great sense of humour, and the other lads look up to him because of what he’s achieved.”
Some have questioned whether Moore has the experience required to deal with a thoroughbred fighter like Frampton, arguing that he lacks the nous required to bring the best out of him. Moore believes that it is a case of working with what Frampton already has, as opposed to making wholesale changes.
“I’m experienced in boxing,” Moore explained. “Shane wasn’t experienced before he got to that point. That argument is null and void as far as I’m concerned. My job is to help Carl use the assets he already has to the best of his ability. I just want to sharpen his tools.”
Despite Frampton’s failure to make weight last time out, Moore revealed: “Carl’s going to stay at featherweight and wants to be out before the end of the year. Although he’s coming into the latter part of his career, he’s still fresh and can perform at the top level. I’m looking forward to helping him do that.”
‘CARL’S ENDED UP IN SUNNY SALFORD WITH ME. THE UNIVERSE HAS BROUGHT US TOGETHER. HE CAME OVER, AND WE WORKED WELL TOGETHER’ Photo: ACTION IMAGES/ANDREW COULDRIDGE