Carl Frampton motivated to become Ireland’s Greatest Ever

Carl Frampton believes he could be deemed Ireland’s greatest ever fighter if he unifies world featherweight titles.

There are some that already hold ‘The Jackal’ in that esteem but he, quite humbly, has always been reluctant to indulge in ‘greatest’ talk quickly deflecting to Jimmy McLarnin when the topic has been raised.

However, the Belfast fighter, who challenges for the IBF world featherweight world title at the Manchester Arena on December 22nd admits he can see a scenario that will put him up there with likes of two-time lineal welterweight champ McLarnin and inaugural middleweight champ Nonpareil Jack Dempsey as the greatest of Irish punchers.

If the Jamie Moore-trained fighter defeats champion Josh Warrington he is likely to line up a unification fight against WBO title holder Óscar Valdez next spring or early summer.

Having already unified world titles at super bantamweight when he defeated Scott Quigg in February of 2016 becoming IBF and WBA champion at 122lb, Frampton, who has three weight world title ambitions, believes repeating the feat would put him in the ‘Ireland’s Greatest’ argument.

“If I unify at featherweight I will have done it in two divisions and I would be in the argument for Ireland’s greatest fighter.”

“I want to do that and define my legacy,” he added before stressing a Hall of Fame ambition.

“I would like to have a go at super featherweight. I haven’t got the dimensions to go too many divisions up, but I can maybe tackle super featherweight.

“Myself and [WBO middleweight and WBO super middleweight champ] Steve Collins are Ireland’s only two-weight World champions. If you become a champion in a third weight division, that is Hall of Fame stuff.”

“I’d love to be in the Hall of Fame. I’m still a bit off, but I would love to win a few more big fights and get a call one day saying; ‘You’ve been inducted’.”

Making history and securing his family’s future are Frampton’s motivation but he is also fired up by Warrington’s comments that he has seen better days as a boxer.

“I believe I’m in my peak years. Josh thinks I’m probably over the hill and on the way down, but he has got it wrong definitely,” promises the 31-year-old Tiger’s Bay man.

“My family is one motivation because I want security for me, my wife and the kids. Legacies are another and the third is people saying I’m over the hill – that is a big motivating factor,” Frampton admitted

“I use all these things to my advantage and I think I will. I’ll do it on the night. I promise I’ll win. Josh is made for me and I will prove I’m a better fighter.”