There are a couple of big all-UK world title fights the fans there want to see, and sadly it seems, neither are any closer to fruition.
One is obviously the seemingly dead in the water Kell Brook/Amir Khan fight that I guess we can dream of happening one day if Amir runs out of excuses to avoid it, and the other is the seemingly unlikely fight (at least for now) between IBF 122lb champion and rival divisional belt holder, WBA (reg) champion Scott Quigg.
Neither of these fighters has said the won’t fight the other, and both are now said to be more keen on the idea than ever after their respective victories over Kiko Martinez and Alejandro Gonzalez, that occurred on opposite sides of the Atlantic on the same night last month.
Belfast’s Frampton has now stated he will happily go to Manchester and Quigg’s backyard to make the fight happen, and what is still seemingly keeping that fight apart is the behind the scenes contractual minutiae between promoters and management – in short, money.
Quigg, along with trainer Joe Gallagher, has taken himself out to LA and Freddie Roach’s Wild Card gym and has spoken to Sky Sports to again insist he wants the fight, but that it’s out of his hands.
“I get asked all the time! People keep asking if Frampton is the one I am going to fight next? I tell them he’s the one I want but there’s nothing more I can do at this stage,” he said.
“Even though Frampton and me are obviously across the pond, people here (in the US) want to see that fight. They are asking why it’s not happening. I tell them it’s because of (Frampton’s manager) Barry McGuigan and they say: Really?”
“I tell them I think Frampton wants the fight and I’ve done all I can. We’ve offered them the fight.”
With Bob Arum having held talks with Quigg’s promoters this week regarding his fighter Nonito Donaire facing the Bury man next, Quigg said confirmed he is hearing the same things stateside. If a fight with Frampton can’t be made, then Donaire is a likely option.
“There are also strong rumours out here about Donaire and they all know that’s another fight I want. I just want the big fights. There’s Frampton and Donaire, they’re (both) massive fights.”
Twitter@Undilutedpoison