Carl beats Khan for TV clash

CARL FRAMPTON faces former four-weight world champion Nonito Donaire in a cracking fight on April 21 in Belfast.

It is just a shame that boxing fans have been made to choose yet again as it clashes with Amir Khan’s return to the ring on the same night in Liverpool.

Boxing doesn’t need to dilute its audience any further by running big shows against each other on the same night.

You wouldn’t get Manchester United against Chelsea on Sky Sports with Arsenal against Liverpool at the same time on BT Sport, would you?

It needs to be looked at but we announced our date with Frampton

(below) first and so we cannot be blamed this time.

Make no mistake, though, the SSE Arena in Belfast will be the place to be that night, or watching on TV, as Frampton takes on a mighty foe.

It will be interesting to see what Khan is like after almost two years out and on the back of that brutal knockout defeat by Saul Alvarez.

But he will not be facing a big-name opponent as he looks to shake the ring rust off, and there is nothing wrong with that after such a long time out.

Credit

Frampton, on the other hand, is in a proper fight against the ‘Filipino Flash’, who has won world titles at flyweight, bantamweight, superbantamweight and featherweight.

Donaire is arguably the biggest name ever to come to Belfast and the fight fans over there are in for a real treat.

All credit to Frampton, too, as he could have had a much easier night.

He picked a tough one for his return last year against Horacio Garcia and now he is facing a world-class opponent.

Frampton knows he has a world title shot in the summer against the winner of IBF champion Lee Selby v Josh Warrington, so he could have picked a weaker opponent to ensure there is no slip up.

But that is the mark of the man that he jumped at the chance to test himself against Donaire.