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Carl Frampton aiming to “prove the doubters wrong” against Nonito Donaire


Carl Frampton [24(14)-1(0)] goes into 2018 ready to shut “the doubters” up.

Frampton has been a leading Irish fight light in recent years and cemented a status as a World level operator and an all-time great for this island.

However, the former two-weight World champion claims he has seen more people question his credentials of late than at any other stage in his career.

2017 didn’t quite go as planned for ‘The Jackal’ – he lost his title in a Leo Santa Cruz rematch in January before seeing a ‘homecoming’ clash cancelled in the most bizarre circumstances.

After splitting with a Cyclone and teaming up with MTK and Frank Warren, the 30-year-old returned with victory over Horacio Garcia.

Although he showed touches of class against Saul Canelo Alvarez’s stable mate, Frampton himself labelled the performance ‘mediocre’ and has since seen some criticism that seems to have motivated him.

Frampton remains more than relevant, he had his pick of promoters after his Cyclone exit, sold out a venue against a name relatively unknown to the casual, broke BT Sports boxing viewership figures, has a fight lined up with a massive name in Nonito Donaire and remains on course for a Windsor Park World title fight with the winner of Lee Selby versus Josh Warrington.

However, when speaking to Off The Ball recently he revealed he has been left stung by critics and they have motivated him massively.

It seems his decision to fight the Filipino Flash rather than keep it safe ahead of a possible World title fight is partly to hit back at those who questioned him.

“I keep an eye on social media and stuff. To be honest, I don’t like being criticised and I don’t like people thinking that I’m taking easy fights. This is a tough business. You have to take risks sometimes,” Frampton explained.

“I don’t like to be criticised and people do get criticised all the time and people can brush that off easy but it irks me a little bit.”

“Legacy is important as well. I’ve never been doubted more than I have in recent times, there are a lot of people doubting me. I want to shut them up really. I want to show them I still got a lot to give.”

“After a bad performance against Santa Cruz, that’s all it was a bad performance and I lost the fight and then a mediocre performance where I won the fight, after a bad year I want to prove the doubters wrong.”

dpg

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