For anybody still doubting the method in the supposed “madness” of Carl Frampton turning down a very public £1.5 million to fight Scott Quigg in Manchester later this year, the Tiger Bay fighters exclusive column for “The Belfast Newsletter” should go some way to making things clearer.
Calling the antics by Quigg and Matchroom on Tuesday “The biggest stunt I’ve seen since Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson at the Superbowl” Frampton went on to detail his dissatisfaction at not just the very public manner in which his rivals conducted their business, but the actual offer itself.
The IBF super bantamweight champion wrote;
“It’s undoubtedly a lot of money, but does that mean that I should just snap it up with both hands?”
Continuing on to make his case, Frampton also explains some of the intricacies of the offer and how they would impact upon him financially under the terms of the Matchroom deal.
“It’s a flat rate offer, which means that no matter how well this fight does at the box office, this (£1.5mil) is the most that I’ll receive. This will not however be the same case for Scott Quigg and Matchroom Sport.”
Herein lies the problem, and this was one of the reasons I was critical of Hearn making such a public, one sided offer in the first place. Without total transparency surrounding negotiations, how can he expect anyone to just believe that Frampton is running scared? Or that he’s crazy for refusing such an amount? The former assertion is beyond laughable in the eyes of this writer, as Frampton is the better fighter in every department. I’d find it hard to believe Carl was ever running from the Bury man.
Frampton continued
“Many would agree this fight will do extremely well at the box office, considering that in their (Hearn/Quigg) words, it’s one of two super fights in the UK. If PPV targets are reached, this fight can generate as much as £10-12 million”
“Once the broadcasters cut is deducted and other costs are dealt with, the real winner of the fight in monetary terms will be Scott Quigg”
Further to that, Frampton then goes on to detail some of his frustrations with regard to the location of the fight, and the Belfast vs Manchester argument.
“It doesn’t seem fair that the legitimate champion should travel to the challengers backyard, under his terms for considerably less money than him, does it? Its not rocket science and there is more to this offer than meets the eye.”
“I will be very happy to continue my career on ITV, in front of millions with perhaps a debut in the USA. However I would really like to silence Quigg, his team and the hundreds of fans that follow him once and for all.”
With an tone of sarcasm the champion signs off with;
“So, please. Next time you make an offer, make it a realistic one”
As I wrote yesterday, it appears the fight truly is slipping away and that both men will pursue other options. With Quigg eyeing a fight with Kiko Martinez, a man Frampton beat twice, or Nonito Donaire, its clear Matchroom are prepared to carry on regardless.
Frampton can enjoy the same privilege and the more lucrative offers. For this writer an American debut against rangy WBC champion Leo Santa Cruz is the best fight and most rewarding financially. Its also extremely winnable.
Just nobody mention the elephant in the room……..
Rigo. There, I said it!!! But maybe I shouldn’t have???
Thanks for reading. Twitter @undilutedpoison
