Frampton & Fury: The Starter Before The Main Course

Frampton & Fury: The Starter Before The Main Course

We got the stage we got the setting but Frank Warren’s big promotion at Windsor Park was very much the starter before the main course. Carl Frampton and Tyson Fury were centre stage while their opponents Luke Jackson and Franceso Pianeta had minor roles to play in the production, something to whet the appetite before we get served what we really want.

Leading up to the fight I felt a little sorry for Frampton on his big night, his dream night, he was being overshadowed by the presence of Fury. After all, this was supposed to be Frampton’s big night, Jackson wasn’t the opponent Frampton wanted or the setting deserved and all the talk pre-fight seemed to focus on Fury and Deontay Wilder. Despite being the headliner Frampton was in many ways the support act to the charismatic former world heavyweight champion.

Fury got the win and the rounds he needed, for a 2nd comeback fight after so long away it was a decent enough showing but for someone who will in 3-months time challenge for the WBC heavyweight championship for me, it fell a little short. I still think he needs at least one more fight against someone who has a reasonable chance of beating him before taking on the likes of Wilder. The fights with Seferi and Pianeta were exhibition type affairs, he needs a real fight. Fury deserves the plaudits for getting back to where he is at present, but I hope he doesn’t regret his haste to yet again taste what he had before.

Frampton seems to be settling into life with his new trainer Jamie Moore, I thought Frampton gave his best performance yet under Moore. Jackson was systematically broken down and nothing he offered in return had the slightest effect on Frampton. It’s a well-worn phrase but there are levels, Jackson as many predicted is not on Frampton’s nowhere near.

Josh Warrington will be next and the IBF featherweight champion will be a totally different proposition for Frampton. Warrington surprised many including me in his victory over Lee Selby and will improve further still. The Leeds fighter will tell us if Frampton is still the elite fighter we saw in the Santa Cruz fights, early odds but Frampton as the 2/5 favourite but I see it as to close to call. We all know how good Frampton is at controlling the distance but Warrington will be on him all night long. It’s a truly fascinating fight, and it deserves the biggest stage possible.

The boxing obituary of Frank Warren has been written many times before but with the BT Sport deal and marquee signings like Frampton and Fury he is back as a major player again. Windsor Park was a hugely successful show for Warren but it’s merely the appetiser for what is to come.