Sport

Carl Frampton looks to showdown with Jamel Herring after victory in Vegas

Carl Frampton in action against Tyler McCreery in their fight in Las Vegas on Saturday night Picture by Pacemaker
Carl Frampton in action against Tyler McCreery in their fight in Las Vegas on Saturday night Picture by Pacemaker Carl Frampton in action against Tyler McCreery in their fight in Las Vegas on Saturday night Picture by Pacemaker

CARL Frampton admitted he had been fighting with a fractured hand after he inflicted a first-ever defeat on American Tyler McCreary in Las Vegas on Saturday night.

The Jackal beat McCreary in a unanimous decision, with all three judges marking it 100-88, and now hopes for a shot at the world super featherweight title. And despite his painful tribulations in the run up to the fight, he insisted there was no way he was going to pull the plug on it.

“It felt good to be back, good to get the win, obviously,” Frampton said after the fight.

“I hurt my hand, left hand, in the first round, towards the end of it. I definitely hurt it again in the second round, I got hurt a number of times throughout the fight. I hurt my right hand in the eighth round, not great.

“Look, it wasn’t the most exciting win but it was a comfortable win for me. It was tough, I dropped him twice with body shots but I think, if my hands had’ve been fine, I would’ve been able to apply a bit more pressure and get rid of him.

“I refractured it [left hand] twice. I refractured it first about eight weeks ago, the first spar I had back, the third round, I remember it like it was yesterday, I hurt it, refractured, then I stopped sparring, didn’t spar until I got to Vegas, I done like 20 odd rounds out here. In the ninth round of my last spar, I was meant to do 10, I hurt it again and refractured it. So it was a disaster, an absolute disaster, but there was there was no way I was pulling out. “

Frampton has previously held world titles at super-bantamweight and featherweight and, if the 32-year-old wins the super featherweight belt, he would become Ireland's first-ever three-weight world champion.

Further fuelling speculation about Frampton’s future intentions, WBO junior-lightweight champion Jamel Herring congratulated the Belfast man in the ring after the fight.

“I think it [title fight with Herring] will be made,” Frampton added.

“He’s a great champion, a big guy. But I’m daring for greatness here, I want to be a three-weight world champion, that’s what I want to do.

“If I had’ve lost the fight, I was done. I want to win a world title again and I’m still on track. I just need to let my hands heal, get better, go home, enjoy Christmas with the kids, I’m looking forward to that, I haven’t seen them in a long time.”

Also on Saturday, Anthony Cacace wrestled the British super featherweight title out of the hands of Sam Bowen in Birmingham. The 12-round fight went the distance and ended with a split decision verdict for the Belfast man to give him the third professional title of his career.

Bowen and Cacace both played their part in a thrilling and draining contest, which the latter edged with his more accurate shots.

In the latter rounds, Bowen was looking to hit any part of Cacace that moved. Both men began to look ragged in their work, but Cacace was more accurate and got out of harm’s way much quicker than Bowen did.

Bowen sprung into action in the final round, likely knowing he needed a knockout and, with each man swinging widely, it was Cacace who landed the more telling shots.