Rival super-bantamweights Carl Frampton and Scott Quigg have sat down and had the face-to-face treatment courtesy of Sky Sports’ “The Gloves Are Off” series, and from what the teaser trailer shows, the full episode – to be aired tomorrow, Valentine’s Day – should be quite something.
The two men appear to have some mutual respect, with an apparently grudging handshake taking place, but the back and forth verbal exchanges suggest some very real bad blood between the IBF and the WBA champions.
“I’m a better fighter than you,” Frampton, 21-0(14) and the reigning IBF champ, said.
“In what way,” demanded Quigg, 31-0-2(23) and the WBA champ.
“I’m just better.”
Frampton maintains he has a “better boxing brain” than Quigg and that he has “a better punch selection.”
Quigg shot back how Frampton will be in with “the best Scott Quigg there’s ever been.”
Quigg believes, as do many other people, that he has vastly improved under the tutelage of fine trainer Joe Gallagher. But Frampton says he doesn’t rate Quigg’s intelligence – in and out of the ring – and he feels this will prove to be a factor on the night of February 27th when the two clash in a massive pay-per-view event in Manchester.
“I have the power to knock him out. I also have the boxing brain to win comfortably on points,” Frampton stated. “I think your level of intelligence outside the ring, reflects in the ring. You don’t have much of a boxing brain.”
With former cruiserweight champ and regular Sky Sports pundit Johnny Nelson sat between the two, the atmosphere is as tense as it is compelling – and that’s just the preview show. Tomorrow’s full episode should prove great viewing. Maybe even as entertaining as the actual fight that is now just two weeks away.
The 122-pound unification clash is generally looked at as a 50-50 fight (something Quigg himself disagrees with, so sure is he he will win) and fans should really be in store for a memorable battle, perhaps 2016’s Fight of the Year.
