Sky Pundits put Frampton in pound-for-pound Top Ten

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He might not be signed to Matchroom, and he might not box on Sky Sports anymore, but there is still a lot of love for Carl Frampton on the channel.

The Jackal, who last month won the WBA featherweight title to add t his IBF and WBA super bantamweight belts, has been named in the pound-for-pound Top 10s of three of the four main Sky Sports Boxing pundits.

The Belfast man was installed as high a fifth position with former IBF cruiserweight champion Glenn McCrory who admits that “I am a fan of Carl Frampton but I am not being biased because of that. There haven’t been many fighters I thought would be as good as they were and I would go and watch them as a fan – Joe Calzaghe is one of them.”

“Frampton is the same and to be a two-weight world champion and the way he did it makes him one of Britain’s best ever, never mind this list.”

“There’s more to come as well.”

While there is no love lost between Frampton and Joe Gallagher, one of the Manchester-Sligo coach’s fighters had room for ‘The Jackal’ in his list. Liverpool’s two-time WBO super middleweight title challenger Paul Smith put Frampton in at number ten, explaining that “you might be surprised he’s in here because he beat my mate Scott Quigg and this is about personal choice but on top of beating a good world champion like Scott, to move up and beat Leo Santa Cruz, in the USA, the way he did and in such a fantastic fight, means he deserves to be on here.”

“We knew all about him and the way he fights but to move up and do what he did means he has to come into the fringes of anyone’s top 10.”

Former super middleweight champion Carl Froch also had a place for Frampton in his list, rating the 29 year old as number nine. The Cobra reasoned that “A second weight world title with that fight of the year candidate against Leo Santa Cruz earns his spot in my top 10.”

“He looks like he wants to stand and have a fight but we also know he can box as well.”

One man who didn’t have Frampton in his top 10 was former WBO cruiserweight champ Johnny Nelson – however Nelson did have WBC featherweight titlist Gary Russel Jr in at number eight.

Joe O'Neill

Reporting on Irish boxing the past five years. Work has appeared on irish-boxing.com, Boxing News, the42.ie, and local and national media. Provide live ringside updates, occasional interviews, and special features on the future of Irish boxing. email: joneill6@tcd.ie

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