If the 6-year Mayweather v Pacquiao saga/fiasco taught us anything, it’s that it requires co-operative and realistic negotiation to ensure the biggest fights out there are made.
So when pictures emerged of WBA super-bantamweight champion Scott Quigg brandishing a £1.5m cheque composed by promoter Eddie Hearn the eyebrow has to be raised.
The promotional war that has broken out with regards to putting arguably the biggest British fight outside of Kell Brook and Amir Khan together shows no sign of abating.
Yesterday saw Matchroom sport boss Eddie Hearn present a 1.5 million pound cheque and public offer, ostensibly for Carl Frampton, to sign on the dotted line as it were and face Scott Quigg, thus ramping up the intense debate that is stirring on social media regarding the fight and exactly what is hindering it actually happening.
The Bury star joined promoter Eddie Hearn in Matchroom Sport’s offices in Brentwood to confirm the offer live on Sky Sports News, which was sent to Frampton’s team earlier in the day.
Unbeaten World champions Quigg (WBA) and Frampton (IBF) have long been on a collision course, and after issuing the offer to the Belfast man, Quigg is hoping that they can clash in a summer blockbuster.
Carl Frampton had his second world title fight for his IBF strap when he took on top rated contender Chris Avalos. Avalos had two previous losses in his twenty-seven-fight career, and both had been split decisions versus undefeated opposition. The last of those losses came late in 2011 and since then had amassed a six and zero record with four stoppages. This included good wins over the likes of undefeated Yenifel Vicente and an IBF eliminator against Yautaka Ishimoto.
The fight only went five rounds when Frampton ended the event via a TKO and moved his own record to twenty wins, zero losses and zero draws. This kind of performance is what he needs should he be heading into clashes with the likes of Leo Santa Cruz, Scott Quigg and the avoided Guillermo Rigondeaux who all share his division.
The championship bout was televised on AWE-A Wealth of Entertatinment.
After a clinch in round two, Frampton drilled Avalos with a left hook while Avalos thought there was a time out. That shot split Avlaos’ lip. Frampton continued to land hard one-two combinations. Frampton showed some battle scars as he started to develop a a mouse around the right eye.
This Saturday afternoon, February 28, Carl Frampton (19-0, 13 KO’s) will make the 1st defense of the IBF Super Bantamweight title when he takes on mandatory challenger Chris Avalos (25-2, 19 KO’s) in a bout that can be seen live and exclusively in the United States on AWE–A Wealth of Entertainment.
The show begins on AWE at 3:00 PM ET / 12:00 PT The card will originate from the Odyssey Arena in Belfast, Northern Ireland and is promoted by Cyclone Promotions
Scott Quigg is set to return reiterating once more that he is willing to fight Carl Frampton anywhere to get the fight on everyone’s lips made.
The reigning WBA super-bantamweight champion recently required surgery on a hand injury sustained in the 9th round of his title defence against Hidenori Otake in November.
The procedure was a success and two weeks out from being allowed to uncork his right hand again, Quigg, 30-0-2 (22KO’s), has told FKSports he is gunning for IBF champion Frampton, 19-0 (13KO’s).
Thankfully, ‘temporarily’ is the operative term here and a year, which started in disappointment, has turned full circle with a series of announcements and upcoming events that have the fans purring and the vehicle moving forward once more.