Stablemate suggested as possible Carl Frampton Windsor Park opponent
Carl Frampton‘s Windsor Park dream fight is set to take place on August 18th but the fighter in the opposite corner is yet to be confirmed.
With two featherweight world title fights taking place this Saturday night, the whole situation is expected to become clearer soon but new options and avenues continue to be raised.
The long-standing plan had been for Frampton to fight the winner of Lee Selby’s IBF title defence versus Josh Warrington this weekend at Elland Road. However, with promoter Frank Warren scheduling the two stadium dates just twelve weeks apart, doubts have been raised.
Indeed, the promoter does not seem keen whatsoever on bringing Warrington to Belfast should he defeat Selby so, realistically, a comfortable win for the Welshman looks to be Frampton’s only hope of getting the IBF belt on the line this Summer.
Recently the man himself has suggested the WBC route. Gary Russell Jr defends versus JoJo Diaz in Maryland on Saturday and ‘The Jackal’ has noted the possibility, should the insanely inactive Russell win, of the belt being vacated, paving the way for a title shot
Of course, Frampton still holds the WBO ‘interim’ belt which he won last month versus Nonito Donaire and a member of Frampton’s team is interested in making a fight between the Belfast fighter and Australian stablemate Luke Jackson [16(7)-0].
Frampton is next in line for champion Oscar Valdez but the Mexican will not be fight ready until November at the earliest and a WBO interim title defence in August has been suggested as the potential next step should a legitimate world title fight be unable to be made.
Mike Altamura is an Australian-based adviser for Mack The Knife Global – the formerly Irish-owned management outfit who advise Frampton – and the respected boxing man is open to making Frampton versus the WBO #8-rated Jackson.
In a recent interview with Australian Boxing Central, Altamura explained how “Luke Jackson, we’re just waiting to see what shakes out for the WBO featherweight world title.”
“I’m trying to see if I can get him straight into a world championship opportunity next, whether it’s Carl Frampton who’s also with MTK, so we could do that fight in-house, or Oscar Valdez, who’s with Top Rank who I have a solid long-standing working relationship with too, and I’ve spoken to them about it but they’re not sure when he’s going to return.”
“So I’m just waiting to see what we do with Jacko, we might have to give him another hit-out beforehand.”
33-year-old Jackson currently holds the WBO Oriental title but the Tasmanian has never fought at a high level with his career-best win perhaps being a competitive ten-round win over Humberto de Santiago – who Irish fans will remember as the Mexican blasted out in three rounds by Jono Carroll back in November.
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Altamura is also involved in the management of Portlaoise super bantamweight TJ Doheny – who is not involved with MTK Global.
Doheny is currently the mandatory challenger for IBF champion Ryosuke Iwasa and a fight between the pair in Japan has been long mooted.
The aadviser gave an indication that this title shot will be later in the summer and he outlined how Doheny looks like he’s heading to Japan for the IBF super bantamweight world championship.”
“He’s got that coming up, maybe early August, so we’re just in the midst of negotiations because he’s the mandatory contender.”
Watch Mike Altamura’s interview with Australian Boxing Central in full below: