McGuigan: We won’t make the same mistakes as last time but it still won’t be an easy fight

HOLDING a knockout win over Kiko Martinez doesn’t mean a repeat win is a forgone conclusion for Carl Frampton, claims coach Shane McGuigan.

The Belfast star rematches with the Spanish World champion in the Titanic Quarter on September 6 and having become the first man to stop Martinez back in February of 2013 is confident he can get the job done quicker in front of 16,000 fight fans this time round.

McGuigan knows his man has the capabilities and power to repeat the European title winning feat, but warns a stoppage win is far from given.

The emerging coach also claims he has been telling Frampton the win no matter how it comes is the most important thing in the massive World title dust up.

“I will drill it into Carl that he is not going in there to better what he did before. He is going in there to do what he did the last time – frustrate him for the first few rounds and then come on strong,” McGuigan told the Belfast Newsletter.

“If he feels he is getting tired then push on and try to get him out of there.

“If not stick to the game plan. And the last time he wasted so much energy moving around.

“He was too far out of punching distance but this time we will keep him more in distance but not switching off.

“I am preparing Carl day in and day out, and no stone will be left unturned.

“We are putting in all the graft and we are preparing harder this time for this clash. The expectation on Carl is massive and everyone thinks he will be a World Champion. People think because he has beaten him before, so he will do it again – but we know it will not be that easy.”

McGuigan might be warning The Jackal Army against expecting any early blitz and a routine win, but remains confident Frampton will dethrone the former Bernard Dunne foe.

The coach admits Martinez, who has gone on to win and defend the IBF world strap twice since losing to Frampton, has improved, but stresses he hasn’t made the same stride forward as Belfast boxing’s leading light.

“I just know the best Carl Frampton is better than the best Kiko Martinez. He can out-box him, he can out-fight him and he can out-punch him.

“So it is just making sure that he goes in there, not too confident, with a lot of respect because Kiko can punch, not let the crowd get to him and stick to the game plan,” he added.

“He has fought him before and it was a really tough fight between two World class fighters for the European title. Now they are facing each other for the World title and I think Kiko has got slightly better, but Carl has improved in leaps and bounds.

“I think come September 6, we are not going to make the same mistakes we made the last time.”