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Carl Frampton rumoured departure from Barry McGuigan’s Cyclone Promotions 'nonsense'

Matchroom spokesman Anthony Leaver dismissed speculation that Carl Frampton and Eddie Hearn were about to link up as "absolute nonsense"
Matchroom spokesman Anthony Leaver dismissed speculation that Carl Frampton and Eddie Hearn were about to link up as "absolute nonsense" Matchroom spokesman Anthony Leaver dismissed speculation that Carl Frampton and Eddie Hearn were about to link up as "absolute nonsense"

A SPOKESMAN for Matchroom Boxing yesterday rubbished reports that Carl Frampton was set to leave Barry McGuigan’s Cyclone Promotions and move to the Eddie Hearn stable.

It had been rumoured that Frampton was set to make a shock return to the Hearn outfit in the wake of the cancellation of last Saturday night’s featherweight rumble with Andres Guttierez. But spokeman Anthony Leaver said they were “absolute nonsense”.

“Eddie is in New York with Katie Taylor so quite how we’re going to do an announcement when the boss is on the other side of the world, is beyond me,” he said.

“It’s not true; someone has made up a rumour from somewhere.

“There’s no truth in it. I really, genuinely don’t know where it has come from and there’s nothing in it.”

Frampton failed to make the nine-stone limit for the Guttierez fight but it was due to go ahead as a ‘catch-weight’ contest until later last Friday evening when the Mexican injured himself after falling in his bathroom.

According to reports Guttierez fainted and had to receive treatment in hospital for gashes to his chin, nose and mouth. He was also concussed and so the entire bill was cancelled.

Cyclone Promotions have said that rescheduling Frampton-Guttierez remains a possibility, the clamour for Frampton to fight IBF featherweight champion Lee Selby is growing louder by the day.

SATURDAY night’s Carl Frampton comeback spectacular should have been a big break for Steven Ward and the other undercard fighters.

But the bill fell through at the exact moment Andres Guttierez’s fainted in his bathroom leaving Ward, Conrad Cummings, Paddy Gallagher and others as frustrated as the thousands of fans who had bought tickets for the show.

Lewis Crocker was also scheduled to appear on the bill and was hastily re-routed to a show in Birmingham. There were efforts to get Ward – also an MTK fighter - on it too, but they came to nothing.

“The management tried to get me on the Birimingham show but it didn’t work out,” ‘The Quiet Man’ explained yesterday.

“I’ve no doubt I’ll be out soon hopefully. MTK always have stuff going on and hopefully they’ll get me on somewhere. I’ll just take a couple of days off now and get the body back down and then start tipping away next week.”

After three months of training and cutting weight, it’s back to the drawing board for Ward and he is still awaiting word from Cyclone Promotions over whether Frampton-Guttierez will be rescheduled.

“I was gutted when the show was cancelled,” said Ward, who heard the news on social media.

“I put in a lot of time in away from the family, but it was the same for everyone. We’ve all been away putting the time in and at the minute I haven’t heard anything about wages either.

“I haven’t heard from the McGuigans yet, so we still don’t really know what’s going on.

“Nobody has heard much, if anything, so we’re still waiting to see what happens. Obviously they’ve got a lot going on but it would be nice to hear what’s happening.

“Obviously a lot of people we’ve sold tickets to are going to be looking their money back.”

Efforts were made to save Saturday night’s undercard but there were issues with insurance and, ultimately, there wasn’t enough time to organise an alternative venue.

“I would love to have gone ahead with the card,” he said.

“It was out of Carl’s control, it was out of his hands and it would have been hard to justify it after people had spent £400 or £600 on a ticket. They bought them to see Carl Frampton so for them to pay that kind of money and then not get to watch him wouldn’t have worked.

“Anyone who bought tickets off the undercard fighters was going to see us as well and they would all have been great fights – Conrad (Cummings), Paddy Gallagher, Lewis Crocker… It would have been OK if you’d spent £40 or £80 on a ticket but anything above that, you couldn’t justify it.

“Those people were buying a ticket to see Frampton back after two and-a-half years and the atmosphere.

“The Parr Group and Jim Conlan were working tirelessly on Friday night to create a new show but there just wasn’t time. They had to go through the British Boxing Board and there wasn’t even 24 hours’ notice. It’s pretty crap, but sure, what can you do?”

Light-heavyweight Ward is four fights into his professional career and knows his time will come. He says the man he feels for most is Frampton who admitted he had endured a “horrible 48 hours” over last weekend.

“I’m really young into my career and there’ll be plenty more opportunities coming up,” said Ward.

“This is just a setback and the person I feel for most is Carl Frampton, I really do feel for him because he didn’t ask for this either.

“I know people say ‘well how do you slip in the bathroom?’ but I think the fella (Guttierez) fainted. I’ll get other opportunities down the line, I just want to get another date set, get another goal and get back at it.”

EDDIE Hearn says Katie Taylor is one fight away from a world title after she dismantled out-gunned Jasmine Clarkson in New York on Saturday night.

Taylor walked through the Texan on the way to a third round stoppage win and Matchroom boss Hearn predicts a first major belt for the Bray star before this year is out.

“It is hard getting her matched, but I think we are one fight away from challenging for a world title,” Hearn predicted after Taylor’s win at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center.

After her victory Taylor said she felt ready for a world title shot, adding that she would relish the chance to fight on home soil for the first time.

“I thought it went okay,” said Taylor.

“It was a great experience here tonight. I thought I handled it pretty well. She’s a tough girl but I did get caught with a few silly shots as well.

“There are things I definitely need to improve on but overall I thought it was a good performance. The reaction out there was great.

“I didn’t really catch her with any significant big shot, I think it was just the constant pressure over three rounds. I didn’t expect the fight to be stopped but obviously the corner thought it was the right decision and I was happy enough.

“I definitely feel I’m ready for a world title. I’m definitely ready and willing to fight whoever who steps into the ring and I’m looking forward to fighting in Ireland at some time.”

MIKEY Garcia says he’s “ready for anyone” after he convincingly out-pointed Adrien Broner in New York on Saturday night.

Garcia, who starred on the undercard on both of Carl Frampton’s fights with Leo Santa Cruz, said after his win at the Barlcays Center in Brooklyn: “That was one of my best performances, I controlled things from early on. Broner is a tough, great fighter, I was just the better fighter tonight.

“I have very good timing, it is underestimated, when you get in with me you find out my timing is a step ahead.

“We are ready for anybody next, we want to look at the options. I can go down to lightweight for a big fight, or stay at super-lightweight or even move up to welter.”

Broner suffered the third loss of his career and is at a crossroads in his career.

“I want to congratulate Garcia and his team, it was a good fight. I'm a fighter and I put my heart on the line,” he said.

“I'm still Adrien Broner, still four-time, four-weight world champ and when I'm done with the sport, I will be in the history books.”