IT may not prove to be one of his more testing evenings but for Carl Frampton, tonight is as big a night as any.
Following in well-trod footsteps, the Tiger’s Bay man takes his career stateside. Signed to the powerful Al Haymon and his Premier Boxing Champions series, Frampton’s bout with Alejandro Gonzalez Jr represents an opportunity to show the rest of the world what he is about.
That may lead to an all-action, explosive display in front of the American TV cameras at a time designed to suit those closer to home.
It will be screened free-to-air on CBS in America, as well as on ITV at home, as part of the deal which brought big-time boxing back off the pay-per-view channels when Frampton defeated Chris Avalos in February.
It’s strange that a bill in El Paso, Texas, would reach its climax at the equivalent of 3pm. It’s just as well for the unacclimatised Frampton that the fight will take place indoors, beneath the cooling synthetic airs as opposed to the sun that blazes above the southern states.
The mercury touched just shy of 100 degrees Farenheit (approximately 38 Celcius) earlier in the week as Frampton continued his preparations under the watchful eye of Shane McGuigan.
They decided to do his sparring while in camp at home, rather than subject him to the unpredicatable ringmasters of southern Texas. Control what’s in your control, as they’d say.
Frampton commented earlier this week that the heat was doing him no harm. Almost a full week out from the fight, he was edging very close to the weight. “Probably the closest I’ve ever been this far out from a weigh-in,” he said, with a nod to the sweat-inducing temperatures that have made shedding the spare pounds an even more comfortable task than he usually finds it.
What of his Mexican opponent, then?
No doubt he will have the bulk of the crowd in Texas, for a start. America may have seen and supported its share of Irish boxers down the years, and Frampton would have enjoyed the same in certain parts, but Texas is not a renowned stronghold of the Emerald Isle emigrants. It'll be America, but not as we know it.
Regardless of how intimidating the home support may make it, and how they may attempt to sway opinion among the judges, they are unlikely to have any great say in this world title clash.
There is an overwhelming feeling that Carl Frampton won’t need half of the twelve rounds on offer to close the deal.
That is based not on any great knowledge of Gonzalez – because there seems to be little of it out there – but rather on the solid footing of Frampton’s own impressive form.
Gonzalez Jr has won 22 of his 25 fights, of which all but one have taken place in Mexico. 15 of those 22 victories have come by way of knockout.
His last two outings have resulted in points victories over Gonzalo Garcia and Alem Robles – two fairly uninspiring opponents.
The tale of his father’s exploits have been well told this last few weeks. Twenty years ago, he laid an ambush for then-WBC featherweight champion Kevin Kelley, delivering a rush of 10th round blows that left his opponent unable to answer the 11th bell as the Guadalajara native claimed the belt.
His son will need a sprinkling of the same magic dust if history is to repeat itself.
Standing at 5’7”, he has two inches on Frampton and a five-inch advantage in terms of his reach (67” to 62”).
Frampton expects that Gonzalez Jr will try, literally, to keep him at arm’s length. But that element of predictability enables Shane McGuigan’s 28-year-old champion to prepare accordingly.
The speed of hand, speed of foot, speed of mind that Frampton possesses will get him inside and demolish the Gonzalez Jr gameplan.
"I love it when everything is against me as the pressure is on him. The only time I was made favourite, I lost," said Gonzalez earlier this week.
But unbeaten in the 20 fights that make up his professional career, there have been hugely promising developments in Carl Frampton’s career over the last eighteen months, quite aside from claiming the IBF title.
He is, in the eyes of many, past this fight. He and Scott Quigg wanted each other but the strength of their respective belts weighed too heavily on negotiations.
That may happen yet. It should happen but Barry McGuigan won’t sell his man short either.
And there are other options ahead of him too, in the form of Leo Santa Cruz, Gary Russell Jr and Guillermo Rigondeaux.
Tonight will probably give no further indication as to whether Carl Frampton is ready for those challenges. He will have answered more in beating Kiko Martinez a year ago than we will learn if he beats Alejandro Gonzalez Jr in old El Paso.
If he loses? Well that’s unthinkable.
Frampton will want to give the American public an impressive first glance. With the Quigg fight more likely to take place on these shores, if it does happen, and Rigondeaux’s team having said that they’d be prepared to come to Belfast, it may be a short term adventure anyway.
But Carl Frampton has the potential to go out and put on a show and leave the Americans wanting more. Always leave them wanting more.
For that reason, tonight is an important night. But it should not be a taxing one. Gonzalez to last six rounds at most.
Fighting Talk:
John Breen
“I think Carl will do him in the first five rounds. I think Carl has improved that much in the last year.
I think he beats them all now, Rigondeaux, Quigg.
“This time last year I wouldn’t have thought that. He’s improved 150 per cent in the last year. He’s boxing better, he’s fighting better, he’s listening to his corner. He used to go in and try and have a go himself, but now he’s listening to what the corner’s telling him.
“Rigondeaux says that he’ll fight Carl in Belfast, and he’s supposed to be the best in the world at that weight.
Carl beats him now. He impresses me now. A year ago people were asking ‘what do you think?’ and I’d have said the jury was out, and that you wouldn’t see how good a fighter he was until he fought someone in the same class as him. He’s doing that now, and doing it very well.
“McGuigan went there and lost his title. They’re saying they’re getting acclimatised in a week, but they want to come down to my gym for a week, it’s as hot as anywhere in the world. For them to go there for a week, what can they do in a week?
“McGuigan was out there for a couple of weeks before he fought in the desert. But I don’t think it’ll be a problem because he’s different class to this kid. I think it’s an easy fight for him to win. If he does what he’s told, he’ll do it in five or six rounds.”
Charlie Nash
“To be honest, Carl’s getting better with every fight and he has two or three years more where he’s still going to improve before he starts going backwards.
“The boy he’s fighting will be a tough wee boy for four or five rounds but after that, Carl will take control. I’ll be surprised if Carl doesn’t stop him. He knows, and Barry McGuigan knows, that he has to let the people see how good he is now that he’s out there.
“He wants to go back again and I think he’ll be very impressive and knock Gonzalez out. If you don’t put on a performance the first time you’re out, they’re inclined not to ask you back again. Carl’s getting better, I’ve seen him up in Belfast a few times.
“He’s getting more and more skilful, and he’s also starting to punch a wee bit more, and there’s a bit of weight behind his punches. It showed against Martinez, he hit him a couple of great shots that finished him off.
“I think Quigg wants the fight [with Frampton] for the money but I think Carl would be too strong for Quigg.”
Michael Conlan
“I think Carl will finish him within five rounds, he will shine in front of the American public and start to make his name stateside.
“His opponent isn’t as high a quality as those he’s fought, so it’s a good break-in for him to America.
I think his opponent will make him look amazing. He’s made for him, and Carl’s at a different level from a lot of the fighters at his weight at the minute.
I think he’s going to shine, and the Americans will love seeing him.
“He does go to war at times, he can punch and they love a good knockout. If he gets that, I think they’ll love him.
“I think it’s a good move because he’s not fighting any top-quality opponents that would give him jip at the minute. Even though there’s a limited number who could give him problems, I think he’ll be able to destroy this guy.
“I think it would be a close fight with Quigg, a lot closer than most people think. Quigg’s a very, very tough trainer. I’d be able to give you a better opinion after I see him against a quality operator in Martinez on Saturday night.”
Paddy Barnes
“Carl’s improving every fight and now that he’s world champion, he’s fighting with the confidence of a world champion. He’s only going to get better. The form he’s in now, nobody will beat him.”
