Gallagher: Frampton and Quigg won’t happen this year and we have proved we want it more

Joe Gallagher believes Scott Quigg has jumped ahead of Carl Frampton in the super bantamweight pecking order but doesn’t believe the pair will trade leather this year.

The Manchester coach of Sligo heritage feels the manner in which Quigg dealt with former ‘Jackal’ foe Kiko Martinez- knocking the Spaniard out in two rounds- proves he is the better operator and hints despite Framptons world wide TV exposure their profile is similar.

Frampton is confident he would deal with Quigg with relative ease and is eager to prove it, Gallagher claims his charge is of a similar mindset, but doesn’t feel the fight will happen this year.

The coach, who has worked with Matthew Macklin in the past, has previously laid the blame at Cyclone Promotions door and speaking to Steve Kim of Undisputed Champion News he suggested something similar.

“I’ve felt, for a year, the pressure because everyone always felt it was down to us but I do feel, by offering the huge amount of money that we did to make the fight happen, it just made everyone realize just who was stopping the fight. We were getting unfair criticism when, really, we always wanted the fight. I think this fight may not happen. There’s a window to make it happen – it didn’t happen,” said Gallagher.

“Carl Frampton’s got a difficult fight with Shingo Wake next. So I don’t think that fight will happen this year.”

“Listen, there’s some really good fighters out there,” Gallagher points out. “There are plenty of options at the moment. Donaire’s a good fight, Santa Cruz, Abner Mares and there’s also [Guillermo] Rigondeaux, as well, so lets’ not rule him out of the picture.”