In an informative press conference ahead of his IBF super bantamweight title defence next weekend, Carl Frampton and manager Barry McGuigan laid out their reasoning behind teaming up with U.S. boxing behemoth, Al Haymon.

‘The Jackal’ said it was an “easy decision” to take on Haymon as an advisor because “if you wanna do anything in the U.S., Al Haymon is the man.” Stressing the importance of making a name for oneself in America, Barry McGuigan claimed that “when career is dead and buried all they remember is what you did stateside.”

Noting the terrestrial television opportunities stateside that Haymon brings through his Premier Boxing Champions series, Frampton emphasised that this means “a hell of a lot.” Commenting on the importance of having boxing on free-to-air television, the Belfast man explained – “boxing is a sport for the working class and for too long they haven’t been able to see it because it was hidden away on satellite television.”

McGuigan echoed Frampton’s sentiments. Indeed the IBHOF member believes that his “name was written in stone because of terrestrial television.” The Clones Cyclone also described Premier Boxing Champions as being “good for casual fans and good for boxing in general.”

When asked about his terrestrial television prospects on this side of the Atlantic, Frampton revealed that ITV were “over the moon” with his free-to-air debut against Chris Avalos in February. The 28 year old hopes to “continue a relationship” with ITV and commented that “if they weren’t happy, they wouldn’t have come back.”

Frampton’s fight in El Paso, Texas, with Alejandro Gonzalez Jr. will be screened live on free-to-air television via CBS in America and with ITV/UTV in Britain and Ireland. Coverage is scheduled to start at 21:45 (UK and Ireland) and 14:00 (Mountain Daylight Time).