Frampton: I was arrogant ahead of the Gonzalez Jr fight

Carl Frampton admits that he was arrogant before his fight with Alejandro Gonzalez Jr.

One year ago today the Belfast man faced the unheralded Mexican at the Don Haskins Centre in El Paso and was unceremoniously, albeit briefly, dumped on his backside twice in the opening round.

The Jackal would recover to score a convincing points win but the experience was a sobering one which he is determined to learn from ahead of his WBA featherweight title clash with champion Leo Santa Cruz at the end of the month.

Detailing his preparations for last year’s surprisingly tough fight with Gonzalez Jr, Frampton revealed that “a few days before the fight I was messing around by the hotel pool, enjoying the sunshine and just not being professional.”

“It was a stupid, dumb thing to do. I nearly paid for it. I went into the fight with Gonzalez overconfident and arrogant.”

“To be honest, I did everything wrong that I possibly could have done wrong.”

The 29 year old learnt the tough way that “when you get to world-title level, all your opponents are going to be tough, but I didn’t accept that at the time. I do now.”

“That sort of stupidity will never, ever happen again.”

Preparations for Santa Cruz could not be more different than Gonzalez Jr, with Frampton jetting out to the Big Apple a month in advance rather than eight days beforehand like with El Cobrita.

Frampton knows that he can’t afford anything less than one hundred percent focus and commitment for the bout, and explained that “Santa Cruz is a hell of a fighter, and there will be no silliness leading up to this fight.”

“I can’t go into this one as sloppily as I did against Gonzalez. If I did that again, I would lose, simple as that.”

“And that’s not going to happen.”