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Bob Arum keen on Oscar Valdez v Carl Frampton fight


Bob Arum and Top Rank are keen on ‘The Jackal.’

The American promotional giant are looking at Carl Frampton – though not as a potential signing, but a potential opponent.

Top Rank promote WBO featherweight champion Oscar Valdez [22(19)-0], with the Mexican defending his title for the third time this Friday against Filipino Genesis Servania in Tucson, Arizona.

Belfast’s Mick Conlan features on the undercard in a six-round featherweight clash with Kenny Guzman – and it was confirmed yesterday that Frampton has become a stablemate of the MTK-managed fighter, and will be advised by Matthew Macklin going forward.

Frampton [23(14)-1(0)] has previously been advised by U.S. mogul, and Bob Arum rival, Al Haymon, but this status of this relationship is unclear at the moment.

Indeed, with Top Rank working closely with Macklin in regards the career of Conlan – and talk from Arum himself last night – it would seem that the Frampton-Haymon association may have loosened somewhat.

Speaking on a conference call ahead of the card this weekend, the veteran American promoter pin-pointed Frampton, alongside Christopher Diaz, as a potential future opponent for two-time Olympian Valdez.

Arum noted that a Valdez v Frampton fight would be “easy to make,” which would seem at odds with the promotional Cold War that has been raging between Top Rank and Haymon’s Premier Boxing Champions.

Since leaving Cyclone Promotions and the McGuigan family last month, Frampton has taken on board MTK as advisers and Jamie Moore as a trainer. His promotional future remains unclear.

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Joe O'Neill

Reporting on Irish boxing the past five years. Work has appeared on irish-boxing.com, Boxing News, the42.ie, and local and national media. Provide live ringside updates, occasional interviews, and special features on the future of Irish boxing. email: joneill6@tcd.ie

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