FRAMPTON KEEN TO PROVE HE IS A MAN OF LETTERS

CARL FRAMPTON has an MBE to go with his IBF championship belt and is ‘very proud’ to pin the medal to his chest. The Jackal, as this Belfast boy styles himself, was honoured for services to community relations in Northern Ireland but admits that holding out the hand of friendship will be furthest from his mind on Saturday. Rather, in the Manchester Arena, he will be trying to land enough punches on Scott Quigg to add three more initials to his name. Quigg is the holder of the WBA super-bantamweight title and victory would open Frampton’s route to bouts of even greater magnitude abroad. ‘Getting the MBE is a huge honour for me,’ says Frampton (left). ‘But I’ve received the award for community relations, not my boxing, and it won’t matter in the ring.’ Frampton hails from the Protestant Tiger’s Bay district of Belfast and it takes a brave son of that community to marry a Catholic girl. That he chose the path of conciliation rather than the streets scarred by bullets he credits to his wife Christine and his mentor Barry McGuigan. He says: ‘Falling in love with a wonderful girl had nothing to do with me being a Protestant and her a Catholic. As nearly all young people know now, what goes on with sectarianism is mostly bull****. ‘More importantly, if you treat everyone as you want to be treated yourself the world will be a better place and most working-class people don’t give a fiddler’s where you come from.’ He and McGuigan are working together now, along with Barry’s son Shane as his trainer but Frampton recalls being overwhelmed when they first met. He says: ‘We were introduced at an amateur fight night in Belfast. I was in awe. I was talking to my hero, the great McGuigan. A lot of people came aknocking around the time I turned pro but there was on only one Barry McGuigan. ‘When it’s come to making the most of my ability, Barry’s made me realise that at times I was keeping something in reserve. He’s encouraged me to let it all go and there’ll be no holding back against Scott. McGuigan says: ‘Carl can be a better boxer than me. Perhaps the greatest Irish boxer of all time. He’s much calmer than I was in a fight. More controlled, more composed but still highly dangerous and very intelligent.’ Frampton is faintly embarrassed by such compliments but says: ‘Well, I do think I have a better boxing brain than Scott and that will enable me to adapt to whatever he does in the fight. ‘He keeps saying how much he’s improved in the years we’ve been building up to this fight — but he hasn’t improved as much as me.’ Frampton v Quigg will be televised live from 6pm on Saturday on Sky Sports Box Office.