Sparring spying ban put in place ahead of Josh Warrington v Carl Frampton

There will be no spies in Carl Frampton‘s camp ahead of his world title challenger on December 22nd.

The Belfast boxer challenges IBF featherweight champ Josh Warrington [27(6)-0] at the Manchester Arena on a big BT Sport Box Office card and, such is the small circle in British and Irish boxing, moves have had to be made to ensure fairness.

Frampton [26(15)-1(0)] is trained by Jamie Moore at the VIP Gym in Astley, just outside of Manchester, a facility which happens to be owned by Warrington’s manager.

Steve Wood, manager and chief of VIP Promotions, has his offices based in the same complex as the gym where Moore trains Frampton, Conrad Cummings, Steven Ward, Rocky Fielding, Tommy Coyle, Jack Catterall, Martin Murray, and others.

A regular in the gym, a gentlemen’s agreement has been made between Wood and Moore ahead of the Christmas World title fight.

Former Irish, British, Commonwealth, and European champ Moore revealed that “I have had to ban Steve Wood out of his own gym for this fight because he’s not allowed to come and watch the sparring!”

Moore, who was also managed by Wood during his fighting days, explained how “he’s right next door, but for the next three months he’s got to ring me first to make sure the coast is clear.”

Warrington is based across The Pennines in his home city of Leeds where he is trained by his father Sean O’Hagan.

The fight will be his first defence, a voluntary, of the red belt he won in an upset over Lee Selby at Elland Road back in May.

Frampton recently spent a week-and-a-half training in New York and Boston while Stateside for stablemate Tommy Coyle’s clash with Ryan Kielczweski on Saturday night.