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Lee Selby wants Millennium Stadium unification with Carl Frampton

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Lee Selby [23(8)-1(0)] is aiming to quickly get his mandatory challenger out of the way before turning his attention to securing a fight with Belfast’s Carl Frampton.

The IBF featherweight champion traveled to Japan last week to watch the final eliminator between Juan Victor Barros and Satoshi Hosono. Former IBF super featherweight title challenger Barros emerged victorious and is expected to challenge for Selby’s red belt by the end of the year in America.

Selby however already has one eye on a potential unification with Belfast’s WBA champion Frampton [22(14)-0] next year. The Barry Town fighter outlined to Sky Sports how “Barros is next and it needs to be done before early January, but I want it done as soon as possible, hopefully early December.”

“I have to deal with the mandatory but I want the unification with Frampton in the spring time next year. I want to and will prove I am the best out there.”

“Everyone knows I want a unification fight with Frampton and I am sure everyone wants to see it.

“Let’s be honest, how can we call ourselves the best featherweight in the world when we don’t even know who the best in Britain is.

The defence against Barros will be Selby’s fifth consecutive fight outside Wales. While this fact frustrates him, he is aiming to make up for it with a mega clash against Frampton in Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium.

The Welsh Mayweather explained that the Barros fight “will probably be out in America. I’d love to defend my world title in Cardiff but the arenas make it difficult.

“The Motorpoint holds 4,000 and isn’t big enough and then, especially at this time of year, the next step up is the Millennium Stadium, which is too big for this one – but a unification fight with Frampton would sell that out.”

“No problem at all.”

Joe O'Neill

Reporting on Irish boxing the past five years. Work has appeared on irish-boxing.com, Boxing News, the42.ie, and local and national media. Provide live ringside updates, occasional interviews, and special features on the future of Irish boxing. email: joneill6@tcd.ie

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