Why a largely meaningless fight with Horacio Garcia could be the defining bout of Carl Frampton’s career

Boxing on TV: Forget the success of the Scott Quigg and Leo Santa Cruz victories, in modern day boxing you’re only as good as your last fight

Frampton became IBF world champion in September 2014 (Getty)

Of all the stars to emerge in British boxing over the past ten years, Carl Frampton has perhaps been the most intriguing. A former amateur star, Frampton made his professional debut in June 2009, and has become a two-weight world champion and a genuine Irish inspiration. Under the managerial and training tutelage of Barry and Shane McGuigan, Frampton moved through the ranks quickly and ruthlessly, defeating all put in front of him.

The Commonwealth super bantamweight title was followed by European success, before Frampton became IBF world champion in September 2014 by outclassing Kiko Martinez for the second time. And the wins just kept coming, including a domestic destruction of Scott Quigg, before Frampton took the undefeated record of Leo Santa Cruz in July 2016, earning a second world title in the higher featherweight weight class.

Take a picture of Frampton at that time and you would have assumed you were looking at a man on top of the world. But boxing is the most fickle of sports, and things soon began to unravel for the Irish star. A narrow loss in the rematch with Santa Cruz was no disgrace, but when Frampton was last scheduled to fight against Andres Gutierrez in July, everything changed.

Firstly, Frampton missed weight for the first time in his career. That was telling in itself because despite his immense confidence, Frampton has long been a diligent professional. And then, the night before the fight, Gutierrez slipped in the shower at his hotel and broke several teeth. The fight was called off, and Belfast had to find something else to do that Saturday evening.

Shortly after Gutierrez-gate, Frampton broke from both the McGuigan’s who had guided him for so many years. Allegations of money fizzled through the boxing air, but seemingly unperturbed, Frampton found a new promoter in Frank Warren and a new trainer in Jamie Moore. Tonight he makes his long-awaited comeback in Belfast against Horacio Garcia, a Mexican gatekeeper in the featherweight division.

While the fight is essentially meaningless in terms of rankings or legacy, this could be the defining bout of Frampton’s career. Forget the success of the Quigg and Santa Cruz victories, in modern day boxing you’re only as good as your last fight, and the haunting nature of his first defeat has been reverberating through Frampton’s ears since January.

Frampton returns to the ring this evening (Getty)

A spectacular win, and the hype begins again, with future bouts with the likes of Santa Cruz, Lee Selby and Josh Warrington very much open. Amidst the personal chaos, it has been forgotten just how good Frampton is inside the ring. Comfortable off the back-foot and in the pocket, blessed with enough power to frustrate and stop opponents, and a low center of gravity which allows for slick movement and consistent pressure.

Frampton is world class, and he is one of the best in his weight class, but talent and drive can slip if the horrors of the modern world infiltrate a brain. We simply don’t know how much the split from the McGuigan’s has affected him, whether he’s linked up well with Jamie Moore, and if, after reaching the very top of the game, he still has that desire to put everything in.

Conlan finally has a title shot (Getty)

It’s an excellent card overall in Belfast, with 19-0 super flyweight Jamie Conlan finally fighting for a world title against Filipino champion Jerwin Ancajas. Conlan is exciting, full of heart and tough, but it’s likely that he’s lacking the skills to outpoint Ancajas, who is not afraid to travel. Ancajas’ last three fights have come in Brisbane, Macao and Taguig City, and he will be anticipating a Belfast beating of the local boy.

Regardless of the result, it should be a very entertaining bout. Conlan’s doggedness and tenacity is legendary, while the intensity and classiness from Ancajas should combine to make something special.

Elsewhere, Zolani Tete defends his WBO bantamweight title against Siboniso Gonya, Jono Carroll meets Humberto de Santiago, while flyweight Paddy Barnes continues his professional development against Eliecer Quezada.