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

2015 was a corker; what can this year muster?

2015 was a great year for boxing. At its peak, we saw Floyd Mayweather nullify the efforts of the popular but ultimately outclassed Manny Pacquiao. The victory cemented Mayweather’s status as one of the best to ever lace up a pair of boxing gloves. The long-awaited mega fight produced a global event that had nations all over the world poised in anticipation. Rival American television networks Showtime and HBO managed to agree a deal and years of tortuous debate between fans was ended. Interest for the fight crossed over into the mainstream public just as the great battles of yesteryear had done. Fuelled by social media the battle between two of the most renowned fighters of this generation generated a commercial success that took Mayweather’s self-proclaimed ‘Money’ namesake to new heights. He exited the sport (or so we are to believe) leaving even his most cynical critics clear who was the top dog.

We also saw a seismic shift in the balance of power in the heavyweight division. Against all odds, Tyson Fury ended the long unbeaten streak of former heavyweight world champion Wladimir Klitschko. Fury’s victory has shone a light on the heavyweight division once again- adding spice to the United Kingdom’s intriguing domestic scene. Rumblings of a possible future showdown between Anthony Joshua and Fury were quick to surface; made more realistic following Joshua’s knockout win over fellow Londoner Dillian Whyte. And with David Haye’s imminent return to heavyweight boxing, there’s potentially a real tale to sell.

Boxing in Great Britain is in great shape with world champions littering the weight divisions. There’s also a promising pipeline of talent coming through from the domestic ranks. Callum Smith’s clinical performance against super-middle weight rival Rocky Fielding was clinical and worthy of our attention, and despite operating in a competitive division world honours looks to be within Smith’s reach in 12-18 months. But it wasn’t all rosy for our fighters. Kevin Mitchell came up short once again despite a hugely brave performance against Jorge Linares, and Paul Smith and Martin Murray failed to close the deal against a common opponent, Arthur Abraham.

The year ended in style courtesy of a bumper-packed bill at London’s 02 Arena. I was watching the fight from a North-London pub that evening, and it was almost as if the atmosphere from the 02 was seeping through the walls. But it wasn’t just the headline act between Whyte and Joshua that had the crowd –and pub on its feet. Chris Eubank Jr showed he is not a name just because of his Father, putting on a spiteful and entertaining performance before stopping the durable Spike O’Sullivan. Eubank was a fan favourite that night and won a mandatory world title shot against WBA American champion Daniel Jacobs. Luke Campbell, however, wasn’t to fare so well. After looking a little less than his usual energetic self, Campbell was to suffer his first professional defeat at the hands of a strong and very game Yvan Mendy. How Campbell bounces back from defeat (and with what team around him) will be something to watch in 2016.

 So can 2016 deliver a share of thrills to rival 2015? The answer lies in the coming to fruition of some eagerly anticipated matchups.  Gennady ‘GGG’ Golovkin and Saul Canelo Alvarez poses the broadest global appeal with both fighters prime candidates to take over the sport’s number one spot now. There’s also the alluring prospect of a shootout between Sergey Kovalev and Adonis Stevenson. Domestically Amir Khan and Kell Brook would be a sure-fire pay-per-view hit and fan favourite. A persuasive argument can be made for both sides, and there’s bad blood too- you can see why promoter Eddie Hearn sees potential on the scale of Froch-Groves II. With the Mayweather fight a distant memory and Pacquiao facing Bradley for a third time Brook presents Khan’s most lucrative option. Plenty to go on boxing’s 2016 wish list, and if you can’t wait for these hypothetical matchups to be made then, you have some concrete promises in the form of the salivating February Super-bantam weight tear up between domestic world champions Carl Frampton and Scott Quigg. With David Haye’s return to the ring providing the appetizer let’s hope the year can deliver in a big way.