Welterweight Wonderland – Carl Frampton Backs Lewis Crocker to ‘Dominate Division’

From world champion to talk of world domination – Carl Frampton believes Lewis Crocker has what it takes to rule the welterweight scene.

The former two-weight world champion says Crocker’s recent IBF title win could be the start of a dominant era for the Belfast man, arguing that the division is there to be taken over by “The Croc.”

‘The Jackal’, who carried Belfast boxing through some of its biggest modern nights, feels the new champion is perfectly placed to seize control of a weight class that has lost some of its past depth.

With the right opportunities, he insists, a fighter he earmarked as a standout well before he turned pro can go from making history in Belfast to making his mark as one of the leading welterweights on the planet.

“There are massive fights on the horizon,” Frampton told BBC Sport. “He has a voluntary defence coming up and they haven’t chosen who, and it can be anyone in the top 15 of the IBF.

“The welterweight division wasn’t what it was a few years ago, and Lewis can go and dominate this division for a while. It’s about getting the right opportunities and winning the fights, obviously, but I think he can go and do that.”

There was talk of a Conor Benn clash after Crocker defeated Paddy Donovan in the first-ever all-Irish World title fight. With Benn renewing acquaintance with Chris Eubank Jr next month, that bout won’t happen next. However, Irish great, Frampton, can see it happening down the road and fancies his fellow Belfast man’s chances.

“It would make a lot of money, but I don’t think Conor Benn is going to box at welterweight again,” Frampton said.

“But if a fight like that can be made I would say to take it with both hands. It would be a very winnable fight for Lewis and there would be plenty of dough on the line. You have to remember that Lewis isn’t a small welterweight, so maybe a fight could be made at light middleweight. That fight would put Lewis’ profile into a different realm completely.”

While a clash with Benn would generate major headlines, Frampton stresses that Crocker already has the platform to land big fights. Being a world champion changes the dynamic, he says, and makes the prospect of defences, unifications, and repeat Belfast homecomings much more realistic.

“Being world champion makes arranging big fights a little bit easier,” he added. “Whatever happens in Lewis’ career, he can call himself a world champion.

“I would like to see a few defences and maybe a unification. He’s very capable of all that. I hope he keeps continuing to win and coming back to Belfast, that’s important.”