Special Frampton would tear Rigondeaux apart says fellow Belfast great
CARL Frampton defends his IBF super bantamweight title in El Paso, Texas – and the Belfast man’s American debut will be aired across the fifty states via terrestrial network CBS.
This is obviously a massive opportunity and Irish boxing legend, Dave Boy McAuley, believes that Frampton fully merits this chance
McAuley feels that the Tiger’s Bay boxer is a unique talent, and offered an interesting comparison, saying that “if Jose Mourinho is the ‘Special One’ in football then Carl is the ‘Special One’ in boxing and I really mean that.”
In a highly interesting interview with the Belfast Telegraph’s David Kelly, the former IBF flyweight champion predicted that ‘The Jackal’ will prove popular with stateside boxing fans, saying that “I think with Carl’s style, the Americans will love him. They love a bust-up and Frampton can give them that but also he’s a thinking man’s fighter, he’s such a smart fighter and now he has developed into an exceptional fighter. He’s a real one-off.”
The 54 year old is confident that Saturday will be just the beginning of a long career in the U.S. for Frampton, musing that “the Americans don’t know him yet but they will after Saturday. I’m sure he will make a big impression and I just hope this guy can give him a test but Frampton is so good now that it’s going to take a very, very good fighter to hold him off.”
Noting the discerning fans across the Atlantic, McAuley continued, “the Americans and Mexicans can’t be fooled, they know a good fighter when they see one and when they see Frampton they will want to see him back there fighting some very big names.”
Identifying the qualities that U.S. boxing fans will love about Frampton, McAuley added that “he’s got a premier league belt and all the ingredients that the Americans will love – he can punch, has a great chin and is a very smart boxer – You can’t ask for more than that so he should be around at the very highest level for a long time to come.”
McAuley successfully defended his world title an impressive six times, but the Larne man believes that “Carl can go way beyond that, it doesn’t matter who they put in front of him he will be too good.”
Many will point to the pound-for-pound rated Cuban, Guillermo Rigondeaux, but McAuley believes ‘El Chacal is no match for ‘The Jackal’ boldly claiming that “I have watched his fights and I have no doubt that Frampton would tear him apart!”
McAuley reasons that “Frampton would simply be too strong and hit too hard for Rigondeaux. Yes, Rigondeaux is a very skilful boxer and very slick but he wouldn’t be able to hold Frampton off for 12 rounds, no way!”
Such is the esteem that McAuley holds Frampton in, he believes that he could be one of the best super bantamweights ever, arguing that “you can also start comparing him to Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales, two of the great super-bantamweights of all time. This is the category that Frampton is in. If those two were around they would be concerned about fighting him.”
