Josh Warrington keen for Carl Frampton fight following Luke Jackson slaughter

Josh Warrington wasn’t in Belfast to sample the Ulster fry last weekend, he came to the city to force a fight with Carl Frampton.

The Leeds ticket seller found a fighter only to happy to challenge for his IBF featherweight world title, and it looks nailed on that the pair will fight in either Manchester or London this Winter.

Warrington [27(6)-0] will go into the fight, which is still to be officially confirmed, off the back of a career-best title win against Lee Selby which played out in front of a packed Elland Road.

Some expected the world champion to have a routine or keep busy defence but the 27-year-old, who was ringside as ‘The Jackal’ stopped Luke Jackson in Windsor Park, claims he now only wants to fight the best at the weight – and he believes Frampton fits the bill.

This excites Warrington who seemed to suggest that Frampton enjoyed, by comparison to his sensational Selby win, an easy fight where he was not pushed by Jackson.

“Let’s have it right. I have not come over here to have an Ulster breakfast and look at the Titanic museum, I’ve come here to look at a potential fight with Carl and you want to test myself against the best – and Carl is one of the best,” Warrington told the BBC.

The fighter, who like Frampton, has a famously loud and passionate following that has people already predicting a sensational atmosphere when the pair trade leather, claims he has always been impressed with the Belfast crowd and Saturday proved no different.

“It was a good lively atmosphere, I have been to Belfast a number of times to watch Carl and some of the other boys as well. It’s nice to come over they produce a good atmosphere and they make you feel welcome.”

In terms of Frampton’s performance, Warrington, a Queensberry promotional stablemate of the Belfast favourite, wasn’t overly complimentary.

Belfast’s Frampton [26(15)-1(0)] dominated and stopped Jackson in the ninth round but Warrington adapted the well-worn ‘levels’ adage when analysing the fight for BT Sport and beyond.

The Leeds puncher tried to stay diplomatic, but wasn’t impressed with the challenge brought by Jackson.

“When Luke Jackson got in the ring I kind of felt like he was a beaten man already. He looked like a rabbit caught in the head lights, he looked a lot smaller than I thought he was, but that’s not taking anything away from Carl.”

“Carl picked his body shots really well and I think after round 5 it was just a matter of time it was lambs to the slaughter.”