Carl Frampton vs. Scott Quigg: who has the edge?

The British and Irish are among some of the most passionate, loyal and vocal boxing fans in the world. When they get behind one of their fighters, they do it with gusto. Ricky ‘the Hitman’ Hatton galvanised fans in their thousands. His barmy army travelled in droves across the Atlantic to spur on their hero chanting ‘there’s only one Ricky Hatton’ wherever they went. Hatton united his hometown of Manchester, and at times the nation. While his technical ability didn’t match his desire at the elite level; his fanatical following was one of a kind.

Even Las Vegas, with its glitz and glamour can’t quite match the raw and ferocious atmosphere generated by a motivated British boxing crowd. Manchester, in the north-west of the country, is a city that loves boxing. Whether it’s a domestic rivalry or a world title clash; Manchester has seen it all. Eubank vs. Benn. Froch vs. Groves. Brodie vs. Chi. Calzaghe vs. Lacy. The list goes on. So it’s rather fitting that the highly anticipated fight between Ireland’s Carl Frampton and Bury’s Scott Quigg is happening there.

Between them, Quigg and Frampton hold two of the super-bantamweight world titles, and big fights with the likes of Nonito Donaire, Guillermo Rigondeaux and Leo Santa Cruz are all possible future opponents for the winner. If you’d asked me to pick a winner 12-18 months ago then without hesitation, I would have said Frampton. To me, the Belfast man is the more refined and complete fighter. Quigg’s last performance (a knockout victory over Kiko Martinez) has led many to believe Frampton no longer holds the advantage. How much Frampton’s performance against Alejandro Gonzalez Jr shows real weaknesses that Quigg will be able to exploit is unsure. Despite being dropped twice, Frampton picked himself up off the canvas and dominated the rest of the fight.

The more footage I study, the closer the fighters match up. Quigg prefers to go looking for his man while Frampton fights well on the front foot and in reverse. Frampton arguably has the better feet and the more fluid combinations. Quigg, on the other hand, has a fantastic engine, is possibly the bigger hitter of the two, and punches well to both body and head. Then there’s the confidence Quigg has exuded throughout the build up to this fight. There’s a steely look of conviction in his eyes. Mind you, Frampton is hardly short of belief. But it’s the Bury man who has appeared calmer when the fighters have met for their press obligations. Have Quigg’s team got under Frampton’s skin a little? If Frampton brings too much emotion into the ring, then he will be playing straight into Quigg’s hands. Whose game plan will be the right one and which fighter will stick to theirs in the heat of battle?

I can’t see Quigg outboxing Frampton. Quigg will need to apply intelligent pressure, keep a tight guard and try and slow Frampton down with his work to the body. I don’t think too much should be read into Frampton being dropped twice in his last outing either. Frampton can hold a shot. But with 8oz gloves, neither man can afford to make many mistakes. Frampton needs to maintain 100% concentration throughout the fight. Frampton’s skills could frustrate Quigg, and if that leads to openings, then you can bet your bottom dollar Frampton will capitalise. Frampton needs to be prepared to mix it with Quigg from time to time. In the exchanges, Quigg’s hooks might be the difference. Frampton has a pretty sound defence; however, he sometimes carries his hands a little low for my liking.

This fight will force both men to show their strength of character. It’s going to get tough at times, and the fighters will have to bite down on their gum shields. When one of them gets clipped, how will their pride affect their composure? How will the crowd influence their performance? There are so many interesting dynamics that make this a must-watch fight. Can Frampton frustrate Quigg with his superior boxing skills? Or will the Manchester man’s power and determination see him come out on top? On paper, Quigg has more experience. 33 fights as opposed to Frampton’s 21, and more experience in world title fights too. It’s too close to call. It’s set to be a cracking contest where the real winners will be the fans. I can’t wait.

Published on behindthegloves.com

Is Amir Khan too brave for his own good?

Earlier this month the boxing world was stunned. Twitter was a frenzy of activity as the news spread that former two-time world champion Amir Khan would be facing Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez on May 7th in Las Vegas for the middleweight championship of the world. Boxing hasn’t been caught off guard in such fashion for some time; matches of this magnitude are practically impossible to conceal these days.

Perhaps most surprised of all was the fellow welterweight and current IBF world champion Kell Brook. Brook has been extremely vocal about his desire to face Khan in what would be a massive domestic showdown.

Through taking a challenge of this size Amir Khan dons two fingers to the naysayers and guarantees himself a huge payday. I perceive it to be a smart move from Khan too. The best case scenario results in a victory over one of the biggest names in boxing. Should the fight not go Khan’s way but remains competitive then he still walks away a lot richer, having gone up in weight to face one of boxing’s best.

No doubt the door to a lucrative fight with Kell Brook would still remain open. The only way Khan will majorly suffer from taking this fight is if the fight turns out to be hugely one-sided in Canelo’s favour- something I don’t see happening. Khan brings speed, boxing intelligence, movement and should have just enough pop in his punches to keep the naturally stronger Alvarez honest.

Khan winning would certainly qualify as an upset; however boxing history is not short of an upset or two. Hasim Rahman’s knockout of Lennox Lewis. George Foreman’s victory over

The other factor that could play a crucial role is how much power Khan carries at middleweight. He won’t be fighting as the usual middleweight limit of 160 pounds for his fight in May, instead opting for Canelo’s familiar 155-pound catchweight. But Khan will clearly be the lighter fighter on the night. Canelo usually enters the ring at over 170 pounds. He’s now a fully fledged 147 pounder but let’s not forget Khan started off as a lightweight. His height and reach could play a part in negating some of the physical edges in strength Canelo has. How much we’ll have to wait and see.

So do I think Khan will win? In short, no. In their 2013 showdown, Floyd Mayweather showed the blueprint to beat Alvarez. Mayweather put on a master class. But Khan is no Mayweather. Khan has the tools to give any elite fighter trouble. There’s no doubt in my mind he has the potential to win this fight. But I don’t think he will.

I think Alvarez will slow him down with shots to the body and catch up with him eventually. The outcome depends a lot on which Amir Khan turns up. If it’s the Khan who we saw struggle against Chris Algieri, then he’s in a world of trouble. If it the Amir Khan that controlled the pace and dominated Devon Alexander, then he has a good chance.

It’s a very tough ask though not an impossible one.

Published on behindthegloves.com