By Monday, Carl Frampton was on his way back to Belfast, Northern Ireland, his time in the United States having drawn to a close. He took away with him a win, Saturday’s unanimous decision over a game Alejandro Gonzalez Jr., but he also took away a big question that will take some time to answer—namely, is his future at 122 pounds, or will he move up to 126?
Carl Frampton survived a tough first round against Alejandro Gonzalez Jr. on Saturday in El Paso, Texas. The fight has him considering a move to 126 pounds. (Lucas Noonan/Premier Boxing Champions)
“I took a lot of weight off the morning of the fight,” Frampton said. “More than I’ve ever had to take off before. We have to sit down, maybe go up to [126 pounds], who knows? We’ll see.”
First, though, comes some time off. Frampton plans on going on vacation with his wife and kids. Which should give him time to recoup from a fight that was far more vicious than some had expected it to be.
As for the next time out, Carl Frampton said the U.S. could be in consideration for his next tilt. The reception he got in El Paso, Texas, was warm. Particularly considering that despite Alejandro Gonzalez Jr. hailing from Mexico, Frampton won the crowd over and earned chants of his own in the arena as the fight went on. No small feat for a border town.
“We’ve had a lot of media attention,” he said. “The hospitality has been great. I’d like to come back.”
The question then becomes who he would line up next, and at what weight. Natural rival Scott Quigg of Great Britain also competes at 122 and stopped Kiko Martinez in two rounds the same day Frampton fought Gonzalez. Frampton had two grinding battles against Martinez of his own, stopping the Spaniard in nine rounds the first time out, and earning a decision in the rematch.
“It’s a big fight,” Frampton said. “It was a big win for Scott Quigg. I didn’t think he would’ve done that, to be honest. That completely shocked me, but you’ve got to give him a lot of credit. Kiko Martinez is a very tough guy. To blow him away like that in two rounds, it’s a very, very big statement.”
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