Boxing: World champion Warrington '˜won't dance to anyone else's tune' when it comes to title defence

Warrington said he would avoid rushing into a clash with Belfast’s Frampton after Frank Warren, who promotes both boxers, revealed that an all-British showdown between the pair had been lined up for the final months of 2018.

Warren plans to make that bout if Frampton beats Australia’s Luke Jackson at Windsor Park on August 18, an event which Warrington will be ringside for, but the Leeds fighter is considering a number of options after meeting with Warren in London on Tuesday.

Warrington is a month on from his historic victory over Lee Selby at Elland Road, a points win which saw him become Leeds’ first male boxing world champion.

Frampton looked on as Warrington outpointed Selby in a bloody 12-round contest and a bout between him and Warrington – Britain’s highest-ranked featherweights – was immediately described by Warren as “a natural fight”.

Warrington, however, said he would look to push a clash with Frampton into 2019 if he decided on a different voluntary defence in four months’ time.

“I’ve spent a lot of time doing what other fighters wanted me to do but I’m world champion now so I’ll choose what’s right for me,” he told the YEP.

“Even though I’ve got the IBF title, Carl’s still number one in the British rankings with me behind him at number two. It’s a fight we’d both want and a fight which should happen but I’ve got to think about my options.

“I could make a defence in October and if I do I’m not going to go through two training camps back-to-back and rush him in before Christmas. The training camps are what burn you out and I’d be putting myself at a disadvantage.

“The hunger’s there and when I look through the other fighters in the division – Frampton, Leo Santa Cruz, Oscar Valdez – I’m not worried about fighting any of them. It excites me. But I’ll be sensible about how we do it.”

Warren has promised the winner of Frampton-Jackson a shot at Warrington’s IBF title and Frampton, who has held world titles at both nine-stone and super-bantamweight but lost the WBA featherweight crown to Santa Cruz in 2017, is an overwhelming favourite to see off Jackson in Belfast.

Selby, on his fifth defence of the IBF belt, was overwhelmed by Warrington’s workrate last month and Warrington insisted he would have the measure of Frampton, saying: “I think I’ve shown I’m adaptable.

“People call me one dimensional but I proved against Selby that I can box.

“I’ve admired Carl over the years and I respect him but like everybody, he’s got flaws.

“His last performance (a points win over Nonito Donaire in April) was decent but it wasn’t red hot. I was confident with Selby and I’d be no different with Carl.”

Warrington, meanwhile, is planning to raise money for the transitional care ward at Leeds’ St James’s Hospital by auctioning off one of the gloves used in his dramatic defeat of Selby.

The 27-year-old’s wife Natasha gave birth to twins earlier this year, both of whom were treated in the transitional unit.

The glove has been signed by Warrington and former Leeds United captain Lucas Radebe, who joined him on his ringwalk at Elland Road.