What is Carl Frampton’s Next Move?

By Donald “Braveheart” Stewart

About the middle of July, each year, it was a day of celebration for about half the community in Northern Ireland. Dubiously dubbed, the Glorious Twelfth, this rowdy celebration is all about one Protestant monarch beating a Catholic one from the year 1690.

For many it is a massive celebration with bands and walks and the right to march and have massive bonfires. For others, it is an anachronistic relic of the past which is used to promote rather than heal rifts. Growing up, as I did on the West Coast of Scotland, we were infected by this, though I was never taken to see a “Walk” or to be part of the celebrations, despite my family having a firm protestant background.

My brother then upped and married a Catholic and we all had to discover, love, life, peace and tolerance.

In 2017 these are debates that should be consigned to a shared history as the common understanding that we need to find a way to live together in our scented isle of the United Kingdom is far more pressing, but for some tradition is far too important.

On both sides, it led to violence in the UK from the early part of the twentieth century onwards, the scale of which was greater than ISIS could imagine.

This year though, as people were either boarding up their windows or dusting down their sashes, both sides of this community were contemplating a homecoming. Former World Champion and hero to many, Carl Frampton, 23-1, 14 KO’s, was ready to don the shorts, walk the ring walk and take his career back into his hands.

Frampton, announcing himself a little pickled off that Leo Santa Cruz, 33-1-1, 18 KO’s, is not a man of his word as he promised to defend his title in Belfast, but is not, was left wondering what would happen next. The answer is a very difficult fight with Andres Gutierrez, 35-1-1, 25 KO’s, who has an impressive record.

It is a match, he relishes, as Carl “The Jackal” Frampton, has been in with the best, beaten them and then progressed onto titles and opportunities for the former resident of the tough Tiger Bay area in Norther Ireland.
Frampton is an unassuming guy who has made a career out of not being Barry McGuigan, but has become THE guy, following in McGuigan’s footsteps. His mentor and manager was also the symbol of peace and hope within both communities whilst wearing the gloves and the shorts with the dove, and Frampton has now taken on that mantle.

That unassuming persona is not put on. Frampton loves his family, being around them, beer and the drinking of it and friends with whom he grew up. His childhood was largely untouched by the trouble between both sides but he was acutely aware of what the tension between both was all about.

He announced himself on the world stage thanks to being only the second Irish fighter to hold world titles in two weight divisions. He held the IBF super bantamweight title, took the WBA (Super) title off Scott Quigg and then took the super featherweight title from Santa Cruz before losing it in the rematch. Previously he had been the Celtic, Commonwealth and European super bantamweight champion, since turning professional in 2009. A successful amateur pedigree has now been eclipsed by his professional baubles and now Gutierrez stands in the way of him regaining some form of world level significance.

Prior to taking world honours, Frampton had always been much fancied but his stoppage of the future world champion in 2013, Kiko Martinez, 37-8-1, 27 KO’s, in the 9th round, to win the European title marked his maturity. In August 2014 that was followed by a points win in Carl Frampton/Kiko Martinez II for the IBF title which meant an inevitable collision course with the other British superstar at the super bantamweight – Scott Quigg, 33-1-2, 24 KO’s.

This was a massive British fight and one that captured the attention of press and public alike. It took until February 2016 to happen and Frampton went to Quigg’s own backyard of Manchester to beat Quigg by split decision in front of a very passionate a sell out crowd.
Frampton got the WVBA belt that Quigg held but it was to be taken off him after the WBA tried to put Frampton in with Guillermo Rigondeaux. Frampton simply did not answer the WBA’s questions and the WBA filled in the response for him and stripped him of his title.

Frampton moved up in weight and the next two contests were a win against Santa Cruz followed by his first ever loss. Frampton came off the back of that loss with a promise from Santa Cruz to hold the third defining fight in the trilogy in Frampton’s home town of Belfast; the first two covering Cruz’s home and a neutral venue.

Belfast was where Frampton had begun his professional journey and he now wanted to return for some form of celebration. Having chased Lee Selby, the IBF champion, for a scrap he eventually gave up and announced that in the 29th July – the end of this month – he would be facing Andres Gutierrez.

Of course, at this level there are no easy fights and Frampton who has faced more than most tough opponents in his career – he claims he has about 5 or 6 fights left to go – will go in as a massive favourite with a rematch with Quigg, that trilogy with Cruz or a final showdown with Selby to follow.

What might throw a spanner in the works of any one of those happening is the fact that Frampton wants to be the first Irish 3 weight world champion. That would mean a move up to lightweight and having avoided Rigondeaux – would he manage to avoid Lomachenko? There is also Gervonta Davis in that division and a host of very good fights to end off his career – should he wish to do so.

First of course he faces the fact that Gutierrez wants to halt such a trajectory. With not one but two McGuigan’s fighting in his corner, there is little doubt that the end of July in Belfast will be THE place to be – far more unified than the 12th of July and ironically, a celebration of violence likely to keep the peace.

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