Frampton dismisses Quigg talk – Luke Jackson a tougher opponent
With some questioning the choice of opponent for Carl Frampton’s Windsor Park fight night, the man himself has come out to dismiss one of the other leading suggestions.
The Belfast featherweight will face unheralded Aussie Luke Jackson [16(7)-0] on August 18th, something which has been known for the past week, and there have been a handful of other names put forward as foes that would provide ‘The Jackal’ a better and more competitive fight.
One such fighter is Scott Quigg [34(25)-2(0)-2] – who Frampton defeated in a super bantamweight unification in Manchester back in 2016.
The Bury boxer followed Frampton [25(14)-1(0)] up to featherweight afterwards, chasing a rematch following his somewhat tepid points loss at the Manchester Arena.
Following three wins, Quigg got a shot at WBO champion Óscar Valdez and, after coming in grossly overweight, he was defeated on points in California – breaking the jaw of the Mexican in the process and thus creating an interim belt which Frampton won versus Nonito Donaire in April.
With all the champions tied up, Quigg emerged as a potential Windsor Park opponent for Frampton and stated his willingness to come to Belfast for a shot at vengeance but it was Jackson who was chosen.
There looked to be an unwillingness on the part of Frampton’s promoter, Frank Warren, to work with Quigg’s team at Matchroom – although the Queensberry boss stated today that Quigg was looking for too much money to come to Windsor. That said, the Belfast fighter himself had no desire to face the Englishman who he feels is unworthy of the stage.
Frampton said that “the Quigg situation – people are talking about how he deserves the fight, he doesn’t, for a second. I beat him and I never really got out of first gear.”
“It was a boring fight. The atmosphere in the arena was great because of my fans, I brought 15,000 over to Manchester, he had fans because of the fight. Scott Quigg doesn’t have a support or a fanbase.”
“He lost his last fight, pretty convincingly, and he doesn’t deserve another [big] fight.”
Many would argue that, based purely on résumé, Jackson does not deserve a fight with Frampton either – with Quigg’s three wins at featherweight versus Jose Cayetano, Viorel Simion, and Oleg Yefimovych being far superior than anything on the Tasmanian’s record.
However, Frampton notes how the 33-year-old, a 2012 Olympian, is a hungry fighter and stated his belief that Jackson will prove to be a tougher foe than Quigg.
“This is going to be a tougher fight,” said Frampton.
“Luke Jackson, this is an undefeated fighter who has momentum, who has something to gain from winning this.”
“Scott Quigg is looking for a payday and I’ve already given him one of them.”
