AHEAD of his crucial WBO Interim title fight with Nonito Donaire, Carl Frampton weighed in, to a raucous ovation, at the Europa Hotel in Belfast on Friday.
Frampton scaled 8st 13lbs 3oz, Donaire weighed 8st 13 1/2 lbs.
Donaire is a former multi-weight world titlist and a real threat to Frampton, a man on the comeback trail himself. If Frampton is victorious on Saturday he will be in prime position to challenge WBO featherweight world champion Oscar Valdez.
Both Frampton and show promoter Frank Warren have condemned the scheduling clash with Amir Khan who fights at the same time on Saturday in Liverpool. “This is the boxing show to be watching on the night,” Frampton said. “If I was a fan sitting at home I know what show I’d be watching.”
“It’s pretty stupid for our sport,” Frank Warren lamented. “There’s no winner here.
“The true boxing fans know what they’re going to be watching, they’re going to be watching true boxing.”
“If you want to watch a fight, this is it. This is a fight,” Warren added. “I think hands down we’re providing the fans with the fights they want to see, Carl Frampton and Nonito Donaire, it doesn’t get any better than that. Two guys basically in a position where it’s do-or-die for them. The winner comes through this and becomes Interim champion and in a very short period of time [will] have to challenge Valdez for the title. If Valdez isn’t available or moves up in weight, the winner of this fight could be declared champion. So there’s a lot on the line. It’s a very important fight at this stage.”
