“The hardest I’ve ever been hit” – Luke Jackson pays tribute to destructive Carl Frampton

Luke Jackson admits Carl Frampton hit him harder than he has ever been hit on Saturday night.

The Australian featherweight questioned ‘The Jackal’ in the build up to a massive Windsor Park meeting but revealed the injuries inflicted during the bout were testament to just how good the former two-weight world champion is.

The 2012 Olympian was stopped on his feet in the ninth round of a one-sided contest and confirmed aferwards that both his his ear drums were perforated by the home favourite and went as far as to say the body shot that dropped him was the heaviest punch he every took.

Jackson [16(7)-1(1)] revealed that Frampton “burst my left ear drum in the third round and my right ear drum in the sixth round so I couldn’t hear anything and that’s probably why my feet got a little shaky.”

“The body shot was bad, real bad. That just sucked the life out of me. It’s the hardest I’ve ever been hit,” Jackson, who took defeat on the chin, added.

While he was well-beaten on the night and is far from making excuses, the Tasmanian admits not making the final bell stings a little.

“I came to win, I gave it everything and it’s a little hard keeping it together because I’m so disappointed but I loved my time in Belfast and I was beaten by the better man.”

“I would loved to have got to the end of the fight but my coach Billy Hussein felt he did the right thing by throwing the towel and I know he has my interests at heart.”

Possibly in a bid to sell the fight and himself as an opponent the Tasmanian was vocal in the build-up and sent plenty of verbal barbs the way of Frampton [26(15)-1(0)].

He questioned the 31-year-old’s weight, commitment, and credentials and suggested his peak years were behind him. However, after nine rounds with Frampton the away fighter was full of compliments.

“Respect to Carl Frampton a true champion and congratulate him. I didn’t fight the best I could but that was a lot down to Carl. His jab was terrific and his footwork was better than I expected,” said Jackson who has no regrets regarding his leap up to world level.

The 33-year-old noted how “I put it all on the line, worked my ass off and went to the lion’s den, took a shot and missed. I will never apologise for looking adversity in the face and backing myself.”