CARL Frampton intends to “stick two fingers up” to the people who want to see him lose by beating Nonito Donaire on April 21.
After a first career defeat to Leo Santa Cruz was followed by an acrimonious split with Barry McGuigan’s Cyclone Promotions, ‘the Jackal’ vowed to give his loyal fans a special performance to celebrate while showing his doubters that he has what it takes to become a world champion once again.
“I’m very lucky, I’ve got a fantastic support, a fantastic fanbase,” said Frampton.
“But I don’t kid myself, there are people who would love to see me fall flat on my face and they would take great joy out of it.
“I’m using that as a motivation to prove to people that I’ve still got a lot left – it’s almost life sticking two fingers up to people who think I’m done.
“From what I’ve been doing in this training camp, I’m far from done.”
Criticism can be all invasive in the social media age and there were no shortage of keyboard warriors ready to take potshots at Frampton after his loss to Santa Cruz was followed by a solid, but unspectacular, win over Horacio Garcia last last year.
“You see it online,” said Frampton.
“Some people like to begrudge and they like to moan.
“Two fights ago I lost my title to Leo Santa Cruz and in the last fight I had a performance that was okay, but probably over criticised considering all the things that were going on in my life at the time.
“People were quick to jump on. I lost fair and square but it was close against Santa Cruz and suddenly it was ‘Frampton’s done, he’s over the hill’.
“People like to moan and they like to voice their opinions on social media.”
Beating Donaire in the interim WBO world title showdown at the SSE Arena could pave the way for a summer spectacular against champion Oscar Valdez at Windsor Park. US-based Valdez would be Frampton’s first choice, but the winner of the Lee Selby versus Josh Warrington IBF rumble will also be a contender.
“I’m at the stage of my career where I need to be fighting names and Nonito Donaire (a four-weight world champion) certainly is a name,” said Frampton (24-1).
“It’s a risky fight. Potentially I could have fought for a world title in the summer without fighting Donaire but when I do fight for a world title I want to be in a position to go and take it off a champion. I think beating someone like Donaire is going to help me do that.
“If I can bring what we’ve been working on in the gym into the fight then I’ll win the fight and I’ve believed that from the start. There’s been talk about me fighting Donaire for a long time but I’ve always believed I can beat guys like Donaire and I believe it even more so now.”
He added: “I’m due a good performance but I’m expecting a very good Nonito Donaire, that’s what I’ve been training for.
“But I believe that him at his best against me at my best I will win the fight. I’m a bigger man, he has done incredible things in his career but he started as a flyweight and I haven’t been a flyweight since I was 18.
“I am going to be a bigger man on the night and I’ll use that to my advantage. He may well be due a big night, but I’ll be able to match it.”
