Frampton trainer Jamie Moore doubts Josh Warrington’s ability to replicate Lee Selby performance
Jamie Moore believes Josh Warrington will be unable to replicate his stunning performance when he took Lee Selby’s IBF World featherweight title in May.
The trainer of Carl Frampton believes that Warrington’s upset win at Elland Road was the performance of his career and he won’t be able to pull off two shocks in a row when he defends his belt against ‘The Jackal’ in Manchester on December 22nd.
In any case, the former Irish, British, Commonwealth, and European champ feels that Frampton is the better fighter than Warrington – with or without a once-in-a-lifetime performance.
“I think Lee Selby was probably his big night – I’ve got to be honest,” said Moore before dismissing the talk from some who credited the victory almost entirely to Selby’s well-documented difficulties making weight.
While the Welshman is said to be jumping all the way up to lightweight, Moore doesn’t want to take anything away from Warrington.
“Was Lee dead at the weight? No, absolutely not, because he wouldn’t have made it through 12 rounds. I’ve been there. I know what it’s like.”
“Was he tight at the weight? Yes. But, a lot of fighters are tight at the weight. I don’t think you can take away from Josh’s performance by saying Lee was dead at the weight.”
“I think Josh raised his game. That was the night he looked for in the whole of his boxing life. From being a kid he would have wanted to win a world title and hopefully had it at Elland Road.
“You can understand how he performed like that. But, Carl Frampton is a different level. To me, he is an elite level fighter.”
Moore feels there will be only one winner when the pair clash next week in the first domestic BT Sport Box Office event and the VIP Gym boss is tentatively predicting a knockout.
Analysing the match-up, Moore described how “Josh brings pace and work rate so we know Carl has to be on his game physically and he is on track.”
“His jab, his judgement of range and distance. You can’t just go in there and out work someone who has got the skill set of Carl.”
“It takes a lot more than that. You have to set those sort of things up and Carl is very good at stopping an opponent in their tracks or anticipating what they’re gonna do.”
“His feet are nice. He has got an unorthodox defence so he’s not a typical hands up, fast feet boxer. He dips, rolls and slides and has an odd rhythm.”
Expanding on his stoppage prediction, Moore notes how “even though I know it will be competitive in fights like this where the styles are going to gel well, the better fighter with the skill set usually wins.
“Josh will be surprised how hard Carl hits. Since Carl moved up to featherweight people think he is not a puncher, but going in with the opponents he has been in with you can understand why he goes the distance.”
“I am not giving away clues for the game plan, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Carl gets him out of there.
“It won’t be early because I think Josh has got a good set of whiskers, but I think it will be a case of breaking him down slowly and later on Carl will get to him.”
“The way Carl’s performing, the mindset he’s in, the form he’s in – I can’t see anything but a big Carl Frampton win.”
BIG last sparring day for @RealCFrampton today, the Jackal is ready to rip that world title back! Time to pack now and head to NYC to meet @Rocky87Fielding for #RockyCanelo 👊💥 https://t.co/z6Hy8C2Xgk
— Jamie Moore (@JamieMoore777) December 11, 2018
