Carl Frampton dismisses weight fears and goes on the attack

Carl Frampton denied that he is struggling to make the nine-stone limit for Saturday's fight in Manchester and said Josh Warrington had been fortunate to meet a 'completely malnourished' Lee Selby when he won the IBF title earlier this year.
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Frampton insisted he would have no problem coming in below the featherweight limit at tomorrow’s weigh-in and claimed he is so relaxed about his clash with Warrington that he was “online looking at restaurants where we’re going to eat” beforehand.

Warrington won his IBF title from Selby in May in what proved to be Selby’s last bout at nine stone. The Welshman, who lost on a split decision, announced the following day that he was moving up a division, admitting it was “one fight too many at that weight and my performance badly reflected that.”

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Frampton failed to make the featherweight limit for a proposed meeting with Andres Gutierrez last year, a bout which fell though after Gutierrez injured himself in the shower, and was forced to strip naked to hit nine stone before his last clash with Luke Jackson in August.

Josh Warrington and Carl Frampton at Wednesday's pre-fight press conference. Picture: Pitch Marketing Group.Josh Warrington and Carl Frampton at Wednesday's pre-fight press conference. Picture: Pitch Marketing Group.
Josh Warrington and Carl Frampton at Wednesday's pre-fight press conference. Picture: Pitch Marketing Group.

“He struggles with weight,” Warrington said. “There was that fight where the fella slipped in the shower and he failed to make the weight then. With Luke Jackson he had to take his undies off so it’s happened.”

Frampton responded by saying: “That’s fine, they can think that if they want but you can flip it on its head. I think he might be having the same problems I had at super-bantamweight. I was struggling to make the weight and I know what it feels like to be hit with a shot when you have to be so lean to be at the limit. It’s hard and they hurt, especially body shots.

“I wouldn’t say he’s having problems (making the weight) but look at his face three weeks out. He’s pretty gaunt and I don’t have the same issues.

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“They talk about timing and they say they got Lee Selby at the right time. What does that mean? They got him when he was completely malnourished? They got him at the right time because a year-and-a-half ago it would have been a different fight but Josh has got it wrong with me. That is different.”

Carl Frampton.Carl Frampton.
Carl Frampton.

Frampton said he is paying more attention to finding food after the weigh-in than to Saturday night’s bout at Manchester Arena: “I’m not focused on the fight now, to be honest. You’re more worried about the weigh-in and getting that done. I’m online looking at restaurants where we’re going to eat after the weigh-in, which steakhouse we are going to eat in. That’s more of a concern.”

Josh Warrington defends his IBF World Featherweight title against Carl Frampton exclusively live on BT Sport Box Office, Saturday December 22. Watch for just £19.95, for more info visit www.bt.com/sportboxoffice