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Hearn: Only one roadblock to clear and Frampton-Quigg will be made

All hurdles bar one have been jumped in negotiations to make the eagerly anticipated Carl Frampton and Scott Quigg clash claims Eddie Hearn.

Countless stumbling blocks forced talks to crash and fall earlier this year, but Quigg’s promoter believes all previous roadblocks have been successfully negotiated – apart from one.

Venue still remains an issue and, according to the Matchroom boss, Cyclone Promotions are pushing for a neutral arena to host the fight.

Considering the fight looks set to take place in January or February Belfast is a non starter as it hasn’t an indoor venue big enough to hold the massive Frampton IBF super bantamweight title defence.

Manchester is obviously Bury man Quigg’s preferred destination, and the 21,000 capacity Manchester Arena is a venue Frampton has previously claimed he had no problem packing out with the ‘Jackal Army,’ but according to Hearn, Team Frampton are pushing for a neutral venue for the proposed 2016 clash.

Hearn remains confident the fight will be agreed upon in the next two weeks, but told Sky Sports he is trying to persuade The McGuigan’s and Frampton that Manchester is the ideal venue.

“If I had to make a call, I believe this fight gets made in the next couple of weeks. We’re that close now. There’s been a lot of talk about a neutral venue,” Hearn told Sky Sports.

“The problem is that we’re talking about doing the show in January or February and there are two arenas in the country of maximum size – The O2 and the Manchester Arena. The O2 isn’t available and Carl Frampton doesn’t want to come to Manchester.”

“We’re looking at Birmingham, Glasgow and Sheffield but they’re 11,000. Manchester is 21,000 and it’s difficult to ignore the revenues that can be created through that arena. It’s also difficult to persuade Quigg to fight where there’s less money.”

“I’m saying to Frampton and his team that we can cut the Manchester Arena in half – Team Frampton on one side and Team Quigg on the other side. 10,000 and 10,000. So he wouldn’t really be away from home.

“This doesn’t feel like a Birmingham fight or a Glasgow fight. It feels like a Belfast fight or a Manchester fight and as it’s in February, we can’t go to Belfast. I believe Frampton could even fly in Friday morning for the weigh-in.

“We’ve given up on a lot of things, conceded many things. Now I need them to concede a few because if they do, this fight will get made like that. I think it will be made in the next couple of weeks.”

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