World Title Challenger set to announce next fight – Potential Frampton Windsor Opponent?

Despite promoter Frank Warren claiming it would be announced last week, Carl Frampton [25(14)-1(0)] is still without an opponent for his Windsor Park fight night.

The Jackal Army take over the Belfast football stadium on Saturday August 18th as the Tiger’s Bay featherweight fulfils a lifelong dream. However, while the date has been known for some time now, we are still waiting on an opponent to be named with less than eleven weeks out.

The winner of the IBF title fight between Lee Selby and Josh Warrington on May 19th had been put forward in the build up as the likeliest foe but many felt this was unrealistic and, inevitably, Warrington was immediately ruled out following his upset win at the Elland Road football ground.

The other three 126lbs champions – Óscar Valdez, Gary Russell, and Leo Santa Cruz – are all also out for the running but a recent world title challenger has recently become the topic of conversation and speculation.

California’s JoJo Diaz [26(14)-1(0)] was beaten last month by Russell in Maryland but the southpaw has revealed that he is to return to the ring soon.

Diaz, a 2012 Olympian, stated on social media last night that he will have a fight announced imminently and some believe that it may be versus Frampton at Windsor Park.

Fight date coming soon 💪🏽💪🏽😄

— Joseph Diaz (@JosephDiazJr) June 4, 2018

25-year-old Diaz lost a unanimous decision to Russell on the same night as Selby-Warrington with cards reading 113-115 and 111-117 twice. However, the Golden Boy boxer’s stock rose following his performance and there has also been a segment of the boxing world who felt referee Kenny Chevalier did him no favours with his constant breaking up of the two fighters.

While he is currently unranked by the WBO – the organisation with whom Frampton holds an interim belt which he is expected to defend on August 18th – Diaz would look to be the perfect Windsor Park opponent.

Of course, there is nothing specific from Diaz that would suggest that he is to be the Frampton opponent and he may indeed be returning in an under-the-radar comeback bout.

However, a Frampton fight is one that Diaz has mentioned numerous times over the past two years.

An announcement on Frampton’s next foe is expected in the very near future.

READ: Irish-Boxing.com’s run-through of potential Windsor opponents