Carl Frampton appears to be lined up for a big return.
The Belfast featherweight was beaten by Josh Warrington back in December when the Leeds man put his IBF World title at stake at Manchester Arena.
Frampton, who initially said that he would weigh-up his options in the wake of defeat, has now said that he wants to come back to the squared circle – if the right fights are there.
And the 31-year-old’s promoter Frank Warren looks to be attempting to set up a summer comeback for ‘The Jackal’, with a number of options reportedly on the table.
World title holders Leo Santa Cruz and Oscar Valdez, the Mexican WBA ‘Super’ and WBO champions, have both expressed interest in fighting Frampton.
But the former unified world super-bantamweight king has stated he will not fight before his court case with former promoter Barry McGuigan has concluded.
That case is set for May, with Warren suggesting Frampton could return to the ring at “the end of May [or] early June”.
A potential rematch with the aforementioned Warrington has also been discussed, despite the undefeated consensus British fighter of last year having a mandatory to take care of.
Warrington is likely to face Kid Galahad in Leeds, likely at the First Direct Arena, on a date to be confirmed in due course, as part of a non-pay-per-view offering on BT Sport.
And Warren wants Frampton and Warrington to renew their rivalry at some point down the line.
“The ideal world would be for Carl to go out and win a title and then make a unification fight,” he added. “Providing the two guys keep winning, I’m quite sure we could do that.
“If we can make a rematch, we will see, it’s there to be seen.”
Both Santa Cruz and Valdez are also on the wishlist of Warrington, who wants to take part in a Stateside journey after rising to the top table of the featherweight division over the course of the past 12 months.
Article by: Elliot Foster