IBF super bantamweight champ Carl Frampton believes that fellow Belfast man Paddy Barnes can join him as a professional World champion.

The pair are great friends, with Barnes serving as best man at ‘The Jackal’s’ wedding, and Frampton feels that the two-time Olympic bronze medalist will cease being a bridesmaid and become Olympic champion this year before racing down the aisle to pro honours.

Writing in his column in the Belfast Telegraph’s Sunday Life section, Frampton predicts that “Paddy’s got the Olympics and then he will go pro and I really believe it won’t take long for him to charge up the professional ladder.”

The Tiger’s Bay man, who defeated Kiko Martinez in just his 19th fight for the IBF strap, argues that Barnes could reach the top of his division in even less time, noting that “he could fight for the World flyweight title within 10 fights.”

“He could go straight into eight rounders, there would be no need to hang about with Paddy — he would just need to gradually build his body up for 12 rounders.”

First however, the WSB #1 light flyweight has his third Olympics to contend with, and Frampton thinks that the decorated amateur is head and shoulders above anyone in boxing’s littlest weight class.

“For me the light-flyweight gold medal is there to be taken by Paddy — more so than any other boxer on the Irish team going to the Games I believe he is the one most certain of standing on top of the podium.”

“He’s head and shoulders above anyone in the light-flyweights.”

Read Frampton’s full column HERE