Carl Frampton feels featherweight champ Lee Selby is a fading force

Carl Frampton believes things are getting tougher and tougher for IBF featherweight champ Lee Selby, and suggests that the Welsh boxer is ripe for the picking.

The pair look to be on something of a collision course, with a fight next Summer being the eventual goal – after plans for such a clash this year having fallen apart.

However, Belfast’s Frampton believes that Selby is having increasing difficulty making weight and this is having an adverse effect on his performances.

Indeed, ‘The Jackal’ now feels that Selby’s upcoming mandatory defence against England’s Josh Warrington is no longer as straightforward as it once seemed.

All three fighters work with veteran promoter Frank Warren, and the winner of the Selby-Warrington title fight in Leeds on May 19th is set to defend the belt against Frampton – assuming the Tiger’s Bay star comes through his own bout in Belfast on April 7th.

While Selby remains a 1/4 favourite to defeat fan-favourite Warrington, Frampton no longer sees the result as a banker.

Writing in his weekly column for the Sunday Life, the 30 year old outlined how “I used to think that IBF World featherweight champion Lee Selby would be a clear winner against Josh Warrington, but after last week’s performance my opinion has changed.”

“It’s pretty clear that Selby is having to work harder and harder to make the nine stone featherweight limit.”

Selby [26(9)-1(0)] defended the red belt for a fourth time earlier this month in London, dominating Mexican southpaw Eduardo Ramirez, but former WBA king Frampton [24(14)-1(0)] was left unimpressed.

“Eduardo Ramirez wasn’t a top contender and Selby couldn’t get him out of there so that has to be very encouraging for Warrington,” reasoned Frampton before predicting a close fight between the two former Matchroom fighters next year.

“Selby will face Warrington next year in Leeds on May 19th, and I think it’s going to be a lot closer because Warrington will stay in his face all night and make life very uncomfortable for Selby down the stretch.”

“It’s now a much more interesting fight.”