Frampton split the “lowest point” for Eddie Hearn
This Saturday Carl Frampton [23(14)-1(0)] returns to the ring following a Summer of change.
The Belfast featherweight takes on Mexican Horacio Garcia in a comeback ten-rounder at the SSE Odyssey Arena in a bout intended to acclimatise him to his new team.
‘The Jackal’ will be having his first fight since splitting with the McGuigan family – manager Barry, promoter Blain, and trainer Shane. Frampton has since linked up with trainer Jamie Moore, promoter Frank Warren, and is advised by Irish management company Mack The Knife Global.
It is the second time in Frampton’s career that he has undergone a high-profile split with a promoter.
Back in 2013, following his European super bantamweight title win over Kiko Martinez, Frampton parted company with Matchroom due to differences between Eddie Hearn and Barry McGuigan, with the Clones Cyclone wanting more of a role in the promotion of the Tiger’s Bay star.
Animosity simmered and occasionally boiled over between Team Frampton and Hearn – especially during the build-up to the Ulsterman’s super bantamweight unification with Matchroom’s Scott Quigg last year. However, following the split with the McGuigan’s, Frampton would speak to Hearn about a potential move before eventually picking Warren
Hearm laments the split – especially seeing as Frampton would go on to become a two-weight world champion and the consensus Fighter of the Year in 2016.
During an extended interview with IFL TV’s James Helder, the 38 year old was asked about his “lowest moment in boxing.” Among his list of disappointments, Hearn pointed first to the breakdown of his association with ‘The Jackal,’ which itself came early in his own promotional career.
The Essex promoter responded to the question saying “probably at the time when Frampton left, the first time, when I had the fall out with McGuigan – mind you, that was probably about 4 years ago now. 5 years.”
“At the time I was raw, and I thought ‘oh wow, we’ve done such an amazing job for this guy and now Barry you want to come in and be the promoter.'”
“That was quite hard to take at the time.”
Watch Eddie Hearn’s interview with IFL TV in full below:
Photo Credit: Ricardo Guglielminotti – The Fighting Irish (@ThefIrish)
