The Con is on
MICHAEL CAN FOLLOW CARL TO TOP
CARL FRAMPTON has tipped Michael Conlan to follow in his glorious footsteps – but ruled out ever fighting him.
Frampton, who outpointed Nonito Donaire to win the WBO interim featherweight title last month, is being lined up to fight at Windsor Park, Belfast, on August 18 or 25 in what he says would be his career highlight.
He aims to regain a full world title this year and says his fellow Northern Irishman Conlan will one day rule the division like he did.
Conlan, 26, has his seventh pro fight on Saturday against Spaniard Ibon Larrinaga at Madison Square Garden in New York on a bill which is topped by the big WBA lightweight title clash between Jorge Linares and Vasyl Lomachenko.
Frampton reckons Conlan, who is also scheduled to take on Brazilian Adeilson Dos Santos in Belfast on June 30, is a star in the making.
He said: “I probably won’t ever fight him because of the stages we are at in our career.
“Mick is a friend of mine and a very good fighter but I think he’s just kicking off his pro career while I’m in the twilight of mine.
“Although I’m not thinking about retirement, I’m not going to be hanging around for anther six or seven years.
“With Mick, it’s a question of when he wins a world title, not if. I think he’s a quality fighter, very,
very skilful so it’s about when not if and how many world titles he wins.
“He’s a quality fighter and he has the height to go up through the weights and he’s being looked after by Adam Booth who is a fantastic coach.
“So he’s got the potential to win many world titles. I think there’s the potential for Mick to be a complete worldwide superstar.”
Frampton, 31, lost the WBA featherweight title on points to Leo Santa Cruz in January last year but has not given up hope of a third clash with the Mexican.
The Belfast boxer hopes that his next opponent will be the winner of Welshman Lee Selby, the IBF world champion, against Leeds’ Josh Warrington at Elland Road on May 19 as American Oscar Valdez is injured.
He added: “I think Windsor Park in the summer, against a big name and winning a world title, tops anything I’ve done. “The Valdez fight would capture the public’s imagination but he’s not available so it’s either Selby or Warrington. I fancy Selby, he’s more
polished.”