Carl Frampton on chance at 3rd title, upcoming bout with Jamel Herring
The Northern Ireland native spoke with Yahoo Sports boxing insider Kevin Iole about his April 3 title fight for the WBO junior-lightweight crown.
Video Transcript
[CROWD CHEERING , VARIOUS SPORTS SOUNDS]
KEVIN IOLE: Hey, folks, I am Kevin Iole on April 3 in Dubai-- at Caesar's Palace in Dubai where Marvin Hagler fought many times Caesar's Palace-- not in Dubai, but Marvin Hagler fought at Caesar's Palace. My next guest, Carl Frampton, will fight for his third world title when he meets Jamel Herring for the 130-pound championship. Carl, I have to ask you this question as I start this out. You know, I know you're "The Jackal." I was looking up your age and I happened to see another nickname for you, "Brick Fists." Where did this come from?
CARL FRAMPTON: I don't know where it came from. It's somewhat-- I don't know. I don't really know. I was pretty heavy-handed as a junior featherweight and someone-- I don't even really know where it came from. It wasn't something I ever called myself. I don't know. I don't know to be honest.
KEVIN IOLE: I was going to say, I really want to hear this introduction Carl "Brick Fists" Frampton.
KEVIN IOLE: Yeah, no, I just that-- you done well to find out that. I thought that was wiped off from all records, but obviously you can still find it somewhere.
KEVIN IOLE: Obviously, you know, it's a great opportunity for you to fight for a world championship, but what does it mean to go to your third? I mean, I know you were the first from your country to get two, now to go for a third. What is the significance of that to you?
CARL FRAMPTON: It's huge. It's monumental. It's a chance for me to become the only ever Irishman to become a three weight world champion, one of the only British fighters to ever do it. It's absolutely huge. I think it would mean, obviously, so much to me but also to my family and to the people who have helped me in any way, shape, or form from the very start of my career, you know, as a young, seven-year-old kid who walked through the amateur club-- the little Amateur Club door. It would mean so much to us all. So it's a huge to join an elite list of fighters that become three weight world champions. So it's something that I never really imagined I could have done at the start of my career. Even, I suppose, halfway through my career, it wasn't a thought in my head. So the fact that it's here now and I'm a week away from doing it-- I genuinely believe I will do it-- I'm just I'm excited.
KEVIN IOLE: You know, Carl, I looked up your age for a reason because, you know, it used to be back in the day you never saw fighters, say, under lightweight in their mid-30s fighting for world titles. It would be, you know, especially in those lower weights, when you got to that age, you know, you either up bigger in weight or you were done. Do you think the training-- we saw Chocolatito and Estrada a couple of weeks ago fight. Do you think the trend of conditioning is really allowing you guys in the smaller weight classes to extend your careers and to compete at a higher level for a long time?
CARL FRAMPTON: Yeah, absolutely. I think-- look, the sport is developing all the time, and nutrition is getting better, and strength and conditioning is getting better, and just the real science behind anything that boxers do. And I know I have a really good team behind me. I have a brilliant nutritionist in a guy called Marcus Hannon who works for a football team called Austin Villa. Elite nutritionist for a Premier League team back home. I have a guy called Mego Land who helps out on my strength and conditioning quality-- strength and conditioning coach. Another guy called Said Bitcon who's been involved with Manchester City helping with strength and conditioning. And I've got GME, [INAUDIBLE] who have been there and done it. Quality coaches. They both bring different things to the game in different aspects. And I think the combination of both of them work really well together. So I think all these things, for me personally, is why I'm feeling so great and so fresh at the moment. And I live the life now as well. Kevin, I don't-- you know, pre-30, I enjoyed a drink and I enjoyed doing things that people do--
KEVIN IOLE: What Irishman doesn't enjoy a drink, right?
CARL FRAMPTON: I know-- well, of course, of course, but I, kind of, knocked out on the head a bit. So I've-- I'm just-- I'm living the life of a professional athlete.
KEVIN IOLE: You know, I think one of the things that I have seen in my years of covering fighting is that, you know, the fighters who have declined-- the decline that they've had has been maybe in hand and foot speed, the quickness that they have, the reaction time, that, you know, everything else is maybe still the same, but they don't have that same reaction time. How about you? As you go up in weight, have you stayed as quick as you were, say, when you were, you know, super bantam?
CARL FRAMPTON: I haven't shown it. I don't think I've shown it in fights recently, but I have stayed as quick. And what I've been doing in the gym prove to me that that I have the ability to pull out them performances of old at the end. And I think that the-- for this camp, I think it's probably the best I've ever sparred my whole career. I don't know that's a big enough statement because I've done some, you know, big things in my career. But my decision-making and sparring has been better than it's ever been. And I've been fighting with my head rather than my heart the whole way through this camp. And I think that's going to be very, very important in this fight. And I think it's going to be something that I'll be able to use to my benefit.
KEVIN IOLE: You know, Jamel is a tricky boxer or, you know, been a very good boxer. I don't think his last performance was maybe his greatest, but is part of the reason you've been so focused in training because, you know, he's just slick boxer and that, you know, you can't fall into any, you know, kind of, mistakes or he'll be able to take advantage of that?
CARL FRAMPTON: Absolutely. Yeah, that's one reason but also the fact that I have, you know, a massive potential-- the potential to make a massive piece of history and become a three weight world champion and the only man from the island of Ireland. I'm one of the only Brits, like I said, to ever do it. So all these things combined-- and, you know, we're talking about legacy here. And I feel like my legacy and what I want to leave behind in sport-- or in this sport and to the people of my country is bigger than Jamel Herring's legacy. I genuinely believe that. And I just feel like I'm going to win this fight and I feel like I'm going to do it convincingly.
KEVIN IOLE: One of the guys who had a great legacy is who I referenced at the beginning, Marvin Hagler. And I made that joke about Hagler fighting at Caesar's Palace because I saw in your Twitter timeline how you had talked about, you know, you had so much respect and that Hagler was, kind of, a role model for you. And obviously you guys don't fight in any way the same way, but, you know, in what way did Marvin impact your life?
CARL FRAMPTON: Ah, he was an amazing fighter. And it's just like-- it's just a name that, kind of-- you know, you talk about boxing, you know Marvin Hagler, and he was in that era of the four kings when they all fought each other.
KEVIN IOLE: Right.
CARL FRAMPTON: And they didn't care about losing fights. And then they lost a fight and they fought again. And it was an amazing era for boxing. Hagler was just-- I think he'd done it the hard way. You know, he lost a few fights early on. I think I read somewhere that his first purse may have been about $300, something like that. So he was a guy who any young fighter can look at and think that with grit, and determination, and sacrifices, and just a real drive and desire to get to the top, it can't be done. And just an amazing fighter, hard man, you know, one of the best gents who's ever been in boxing, one of the toughest guys. And he got out at the right time as well. There's not too many people do that. So, yeah, he's a hero of mine and so many other people.
KEVIN IOLE: I want to ask you this, follow up on that then. You know, there's probably a kid out there eight or 10 years old who feels about you right now and going to be rooting for you to win this world title like you felt about Marvin Hagler. And what-- you know, when you think-- I know you don't consciously think about that every day-- but, like, you know, you talk about legacy. When you're done with the sport, you look back on it, you realize you're going to have impacted a lot of people in your career with the way you fought, what does that mean to you to know that, you know, you're going to have fans just like you were a fan of Hagler. You're going to have people who will remember you and talk about as reverentially as you did him.
CARL FRAMPTON: You know, it's so important to me. And what I want to do after I win this fight is I want to go to my local amateur club and show the kids that this can be achieved. Because, you know, even when I was in Belfast and I was a kid, there was other kids in Belfast who were beating me and why are they not in the position that I'm in now? And the simple answer is because they didn't have the drive and determination that I had. Because they were better than me when we were young kids, so they had the ability and a chance to be better than me when they were adults. But they just didn't-- they didn't have that little bit of drive that I have. So I think with sacrifice, and determination, and I suppose a little bit of luck as well, and, you know, good people around you looking after you, you can do what you want really. And I just want to show kids from my hometown of Belfast, and Taggarts, and maybe further afield that, you know, you put your mind to something, you can do it.
KEVIN IOLE: I want to ask you two other questions. Firstly, about, you know, this is, what, your second or third fight with Jamie as your trainer-- Jamie Moore is your second?
CARL FRAMPTON: It's about-- no, it's about-- many?
KEVIN IOLE: Third?
CARL FRAMPTON: Seven. This is our seventh fight.
KEVIN IOLE: OK, so it's been a while. What is the difference? Like, what has he added to your game, you know, that you didn't have previously or to your--
CARL FRAMPTON: He's added a calmness and a type of intellect to me. Like, I feel like I can think my way around the ring now rather than getting frustrated and rather than just getting dragged into wars. I feel like the combination of Jamie and Travis Nagelson who's his number two-- I think that that combination works really well together. Jimmy's like, kind of, a calm, kind of-- very, very wise for-- you know, he's young enough for a boxing coach. What age are you, Jimmy? 42. So he's not the oldest boxing coach in the world but full of wisdom. And I like the things that he saying. I like how he talks me through fights. Nigel different type of character. But I think the combination of these two working together really works well. And I think that-- I think really what he's added to me is, like, a different type of intellectual approach to fights and boxing.
KEVIN IOLE: Interesting. Well, that's-- you know, so then that's a good way to segue into my final question. What do you have to do? Like, if we're watching on ESPN+ on April 3, what is it we're going to be looking for Carl Frampton to be doing well to know that you're going to win this fight?
CARL FRAMPTON: I don't know if I even want to say that because I then may give a bit of a game plan away, but I feel like people are going to be surprised with how this fight goes. And what I mean by that is I don't think people are going to be surprised that I win the fight, obviously there's people think I'll win, there's other people think Jamel Herring will win, but I think people are going to be very, very surprised as to how I win this fight. And that's all I'll say really.
KEVIN IOLE: All right, man. Well, the best of luck to you. It's going to be a battle of two of the best guys in the world, as well as two of the best fighters in the world when they meet on April 3 in Dubai, Carl Frampton against Jamel Herring. Carl, appreciate it, best of luck to you, my man.
CARL FRAMPTON: Thanks, Kevin.