Carl Frampton Interview

By Showtime Boxing - 07/22/2016 - Comments

L. DiBella Carl, if you could say a few words and then we’ll open it up to questions for you.

Carl Frampton Yes. I’m just excited about this fight. It’s a huge fight. I’ve been involved in some pretty big fights back home in the UK which haven’t really caught the public’s imagination in the States. But I think that this fight will. I think that this is going to be the first time really in my career.

It’s a world-class opponent who’s coming to win and he really believes that he’s going to win this fight.

I believe the exact same thing so I think that is only going to mean one thing and that’s going to be a great fight. So I’m looking forward to it. I’m really excited.

Q

Did you know after your last fight that it was definitely going to be in the next weight class and to get a big fight up there against somebody like Leo or whoever?

C. Frampton

Yes. That was the plan was to move up. But I spoke with my team and we agreed that I would only move up for a big fight, the likes of a Santa Cruz, someone who is a big name fighter. So I wouldn’t have moved up – I didn’t want to move up to fight anyone. I wanted to go straight into the deep end and be involved in a big fight.

So I probably could have stayed at 122 but it was hurting me, making that weight. It’s just at this point now, I’m 29-years-old. It’s not getting easier to lose weight. And 122 pounds was just taking something away from me. I feel much stronger now at 126. I’m enjoying boxing. These last couple of weeks, before you weigh in, I usually hate boxing. It’s just not a nice feeling.

I’m eating well and I’m training well. I’m full of energy. So I think it was the right decision to move up and that’s me. I’m a featherweight now. I’ll never see 122 again.

Q

How do you go about trying to deal with somebody that has those two factors working to his advantage? He’s extremely active with his punches and he’s going to be a taller, longer fighter than you. How in the world do you deal with that?

C. Frampton

Well it’s not going to be easy, but I think I can punch very hard and I don’t think that Leo, he’s been in with some good opposition, but I don’t think he’s been hit by anyone that can punch as hard as me, yet. I think that when I was making 122 it was taking something away from my power and I was hurting opponents sparring partners in the gym when I was sitting around 130, 132.

But on fight night with the smaller gloves on, I wasn’t having the same effect and actually got down to making the weight. So I think that I can judge distance very well. I’ve got good distance control. I can see things coming. And that combined with my punching power, it’s not going to be easy. Leo is going to come forward better, but when he’s getting hit hard he may have to think twice about coming forward so much.

Q

So what’s the reaction been to your presence in New York? And do you feel like you’ll be the favorite inside the arena on fight night because of that?

C. Frampton

Yes. It has been good. We went to see the Irish consulate yesterday in New York, right in Manhattan. It was a great turnout. I’ve had a great reception since I came here. The 12th of July 2016 will now be known as Carl Frampton Appreciation Day in Westchester County apparently, as well. So that was pretty nice. That was nice.

We’ve had a good reaction. The Irish community have kind of rallied and gathered around us and they’re all here supporting us. We’re training in a gym called Champs Gym with a guy called Ron O’Leary, of Irish descent. So they’re really supporting us. And I’m expecting to bring probably 1,500 people from back home, from the UK and Ireland as well, which will probably sound more like about 5,000. So we’re all excited.

I think it’s going to be a good night. I think it doesn’t really matter. At the end of the day it’s two guys fighting in the ring and it doesn’t matter who’s making all the noise. Not too much anyway. But I feel that I could have equally as much support as Santa Cruz, maybe even slightly more.

Q

What would it mean to you to win the title in a second weight class, which is something that Barry McGuigan did not do during his Hall of Fame career?

C. Frampton

Yes. It would be huge. There’s been one other Irishman that’s won world titles in two weight divisions and that was Steve Collins. But there has never been another Irishman that’s done it. I’d be making a better history for myself. It’s going to be nice to win back the title that Barry owned 30 years ago, that WBA title as featherweight. That would be nice. It just feels like everything’s lined up and destined to happen.

And I feel like it might be time for me to make history. I’m ready for this fight. I have been for a long time. But up at 126 I feel that this suits me more than fighting Leo Santa Cruz at 122. I think it would have been a harder fight for me at 122 simply because of making the weight. At 126, I’m much better. And I think that everything’s falling into place and I’m ready to take the title off him.

Q

Barry, could you address that about him getting another title and something that you didn’t do? And also, if he does win, getting the belt that you used to have 30 years ago?

Barry McGuigan:

Yes. Absolutely. It’s wonderful that Carl is getting the chance to fight for the 126-pound title. We don’t really go into the sentimental stuff very much. It’s just a job of work and what condition he is. At 126, he’s so much stronger and camp has been fantastic. He’s looked great. And yes, it’d be nice if he won my old title but that’s about it. It didn’t really matter. For him to win and to be impressed at his performance is what’s important

And I believe Leo Santa Cruz will bring the very best out of him because he’s such a great fighter. But I believe 100 percent that Frampton will beat him on the 30th of July.

Q

You were knocked down in the Gonzalez fight. Did any of that have to do with weight loss, do you think?

C. Frampton

Yes. Of course it did. I’ve mentioned that I struggled to make the weight and I’m much stronger at this weight division. But I don’t think it was a close fight to be honest. I think I won pretty comfortably after the first round. The first round was a terrible round, a disastrous round. But after that I won the fight pretty convincingly.

But to be honest, the Gonzalez fight has been a blessing in disguise. This fight with Santa Cruz I don’t think would happen unless that happened, the Gonzalez fight. The fight with Scott Quigg wouldn’t have happened unless the Gonzalez fight wouldn’t have happened. I’ve been chasing these guys for a long time. I’ve wanted to fight them.

I’ve made myself available to Santa Cruz in 2013 I think, and the fight never happened, when he was at 122. But suddenly now all the guys that I’ve been chasing they want to come and fight me. So that was a blessing in disguise and I’m glad it happened all the fights are happening. This is exactly what I want.

Q

He expects you to put on a lot of weight. Does that size translate into power? And will you be more strong – stronger than he thinks you’re going to be?

C. Frampton

I don’t know what Leo is thinking, to be honest. And that isn’t me having a dig at him, saying that, he’s going to think twice about coming forward when he’s getting hit. That’s any fighter in the world, are going to think twice about coming forward too much when I’m fighting back. And I just feel much stronger, fitter, sharper, everything really, at this weight class.

If I’m being honest, I probably outgrew 122 a year and a half ago but I was the champion, I was defending my title, I was making it because I had to. But I’m going to be much better at featherweight.

Q

If you back him up — have you ever seen him fight in reverse? Do you think the fight’s over?

C. Frampton

No. I don’t think the fight’s over. I think that there are different ways that this fight can be won. But we have a game plan and going into this fight I’m hoping that game plan A can work. If not, I’ll resort to plan B or plan C. But, Leo can actually box a bit on the back foot. There’s been on occasions, you know, where I’ve seen that, where he can counter well. He blocks shots well and comes back with his own. He’s a very, very high intelligence fighter.

So he prefers to be a front foot better and coming forward. But I think if push comes to shove then he can actually fight a bit on the back foot. So look, he’s a world-class fighter. He’s not a one trick pony. I’m expecting a very tough fight. But there are a few different plans we have in place and we believe they’re going to work on the night.

Q

So are you saying that when Gonzalez knocked you down that was the green light to tell you, hey, I’d better get out of this lighter weight class because my strength is zapped trying to make this weight?

C. Frampton

Well I said to my team that I wanted to move up for a big name and we got a big name. So if it hadn’t had been a big name like Santa Cruz, I probably would have stayed at super bantamweight, which would have hurt me. I was outgrowing the weight. It wasn’t easy for me to make. And I wasn’t enjoying boxing making 122. But this is a business and you do what you have to do. So if it wasn’t a big name fight, I probably would have stayed. But me at 122, you’re only seeing 70-80 percent. I’m much more comfortable at 126. I think you’re going to see the best performance of my career and I’m glad that I’m up here.

Q

Do you find the size advantage as an obstacle?

C. Frampton

Well most opponents I have faced have been taller than me. So I’m used to fighting guys that are taller than me. You know, I had probably about 180 amateur fights. I don’t know exactly how many. And I came up against all different fighters. My sparring partners are always taller than me. I like to spar big guys. So, I’ll be used to it. And what people haven’t really brought up and mentioned yet, is Leo Santa Cruz started his pro career at bantamweight.

I finished my amateur career at featherweight. So I feel like on the night I’m going to be the bigger man, although he’s taller than me and he’s got a longer reach. I’m going to be physically stronger. I’m going to be stronger, I’m going to be punching harder I feel. And I’m going to be in front of him. And I will be able to push him back if I want to do that.

So this is something that I don’t think Leo has come up against yet. I hope that he’s expecting a tough fight, because I’ve prepared very, very hard for this. I’m willing to put everything on the line and do anything really, to get the win.

Q

What does Barry McGuigan bring to you and your team?

C. Frampton

Well he brings a lot. He brings a lot of wisdom. Obviously he’s been there and he’s done it. Barry’s my manager now and I think we have a great team. It’s his son Shane McGuigan who actually trains me. Shane is the one I listen to and comes up with a plan and the tactics. But everyone has a bit of an input. And obviously it would be silly for us not to take the advice of Barry considering he’s been there and he’s done it. So it’s great that we got people like this on our team who have taken punches in the head, who know what it’s like at the very top level of the sport. Of course you’re just going to soak it all in. And when someone like that gives you advice you listen.

L. DiBella

Thank you Carl and thank you all for joining us for the Santa Cruz vs. Frampton conference call. One more time, it’s Saturday, July 30, SHOWTIME CHAMPIOSHIP BOXING at 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time, 6:00 p.m. Pacific at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Tickets for the live event promoted by DBE in association with Cyclone Promotions, presented by PBC, start at $38.00. You can get them online at Ticketmaster.com, BarclaysCenter.com or by calling Ticketmaster. And they’re also available at the box office.