Fellow Belfast man Carl Frampton has claimed that Michael Conlan is one of the most technically gifted fighters to come out of Ireland.
Former world champion turned DAZN commentator and analyst first won a world title when defeating Kiko Martinez for the IBF super bantamweight title in 2014. Frampton, who will be ringside when Conlan returns to Belfast this Friday at the SSE Arena, thinks it would be criminal for someone of Conlan’s ability if he weren’t to achieve a world title before his career is over.
“Mick, in my eyes, is one of the most skilled fighters to come off this island,” Frampton told Boxing Social after the official press conference. “In terms of his skill level, probably the most skilled fighter to come off the island. So it would be a travesty if, at some point before he hangs them up, he doesn’t get to call himself a world champion. But he knows this is his last chance. He has to win.”
Conlan (20-3, 10 KOs) is currently ranked in 9th place by the WBC and will defend his international title in the hope of marching toward a shot at featherweight world champion Bruce Carrington.
“Carrington is a really good fighter, and if Mick gets the chance to fight for a world title, he should take it,” Frampton added. “He has a chance in that fight. The whole story, if it does work out the way we all want it to, and Mick does eventually become a world champion, the story is incredible. That never-say-die attitude and getting there at an age when you should really be starting to slow down, a bit like Anto Cacace and a bit like Jazza Dickens, who have done it late on. So, it would be a massive, massive achievement.”
Ahead of any world title fights, Conlan will have to handle the undefeated American Kevin Walsh in his first fight back at the SSE Arena since losing by stoppage to Jordan Gill. Walsh (19-0, 10 KOs) will be fighting for the first time outside of his homeland in the Northern Irish capital.
“I’ve watched little bits, he’s decent, and he’s not a bad fighter,” Frampton said of Walsh. “His record looks good, but when you kind of dissect it, it’s just alright. But he’s a decent fighter.”
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