Dynamic duo – Michael Conlan and Carl Frampton could share Belfast card

Michael Conlan can forsee a massive Belfast 2020 card populated by both himself and Carl Frampton.

The two massive Irish boxing names were meant to bookend the summer in huge, but separate fight nights.

The current pandemic put a stop to ‘The Jackal’ challenging Jamel Herring for the WBO super-featherweight world title in June – and it remains to be seen if the first week in August is too soon for a Conlan Feile clash.

Conlan can’t say for certain what is next, but if the Belfast feather’s next bout is to play out in September, he suggests it’s possible he could share a card with Frampton.

That would mean boxing would return to Belfast with a bang, as Frampton would bid to become a three weight world champion on the same night as his fellow Top Rank fighter would attempt to win a first world championship bout.

“Boxing on the same show as Carl Frampton, it could happen definitely now,” Conlan added.

“Without coronavirus, we would have been on separate cards in Belfast this summer; now we don’t know when or where we will box next. But you can’t really worry about it because you can’t control it.”

The when and where of the Olympic medal winners next bout remains uncertain, but the 28-year-old remains confident he will challenge for world honours in his next outing.

The younger brother of former world title challenger Jamie Conlan believes he will fight for the WBO featherweight title vacated by Shakur Stevenson.

“It’s looking that way that I will be fighting for the WBO belt next now,” Conlan told ESPN. “I was meant to fight for some sort of belt this year in Belfast. The fact that it will become vacant and Stevenson is talking about moving up, and Stevenson versus Miguel Marriaga will not happen, should mean it will be me against another top-10 contender next for the belt.

“I would love for the fight to be late summer, but I don’t have a clue at this stage. If it’s late summer or even September, it would be in Belfast, and it would be for a belt. If it’s not then, then who knows where it will be.”

There has also been suggestion that Frampton Herring may play out in New York, but nothing concrete has been confirmed with regard to any potential venue for the fight.