Carl Frampton knows a thing or two about the featherweight division and has made his pick for the division’s WBA title fight this weekend between Leigh Wood and Michael Conlan.
Wood makes the first defence of his title at home in front of a sell-out crowd at Nottingham Arena on Saturday night. Conlan won’t be shy of support himself with a large following from Belfast expected to turn up on the night to support the challenger as well as fellow Northern Irelander Caoimhin Agyarko. Ireland’s Gary Cully, who faces veteran Miguel Vazquez, won’t be shy of backers as well.
Frampton, one of Ireland’s greatest ever fighters and now a respected pundit, won world titles at super-bantamweight and featherweight and is tipping his countryman to beat Wood over the 12-round distance on Saturday.
“As it’s got closer, I’ve kind of edged more towards Mick and a stronger feeling that he’ll win the fight,” Frampton told Boxing Social’s Ryan Elliott while in London to promote BT Sport’s 5G extended reality boxing experience.
“Although Leigh Wood is definitely the puncher in the fight Mick has an unbelievable set of skills. Really elusive.
Frampton commented on Conlan’s last win against TJ Doheny, praising the unbeaten star for skills he hadn’t witnessed before.
“He was doing a lot of good stuff on the inside, new stuff that I hadn’t seen him do before. Really clever inside fighter now as well. But I don’t think he needs to be there too much in this fight. I think they’ll be drilling that into him. I think Adam Booth, his dad, his brother Jamie will be drilling it into him.
“He doesn’t need to be static or still on the ropes because he could get nailed although he does have very good chin. The more I think about it I just see it being a comprehensive points decision for Mick.”
Click here to watch Carl Frampton’s interview with Boxing Social.