CARL’S SAD DUBAI BYE
Frampton bows out with a whimper
CARL FRAMPTON believes he achieved more than he could ever have imagined after the curtain came down on his glittering career.
It was a sad end as his bid to become Ireland’s first three-weight world champion ended in failure against WBO super-featherweight king Jamel Herring, Frampon’s trainer Jamie Moore throwing in the towel in the sixth after seeing his man floored twice.
The Northern Irishman ended his career with a third defeat in 31 bouts in a soulless venue in Dubai.
The fight should never have been there. His swansong should have been in a packed-out arena in his hometown of Belfast but this won’t be the night he is remembered for.
Frampton, 34, retires as a former unified super-bantamweight champion and an EX-WBA featherweight king. He is up there with the best the island of Ireland has produced.
He lit up venues in Belfast, Manchester, New York and Las Vegas during a career that spanned almost 12 years.
“I’ve done more than I could ever have imagined,” he said.
“If you asked me at the start of my career, I could never have imagined doing what I’ve done. I’m very proud.”
Frampton’s professional career started at the Olympia in Liverpool back in June 2009. Under the guidance of Barry
Mcguigan and later trained by his son Shane, he rose to the top of the world in two divisions.
He brought 18,000 fans to the Titanic Quarter in Belfast to watch him become IBF super-bantamweight champion against Kiko Martinez on a freezing September night in 2014. Then, 18 months later, he took thousands to Manchester as he unified the titles against Bury’s Scott Quigg. But his crowning glory had to be a sweltering July night in Brooklyn in 2016 when Frampton (inset) was the big underdog against Leo Santa Cruz. He delivered the performance of his life to win the same title Mcguigan once held. An ugly split with Mcguigan later left both men fighting it out in the courts.
Then Frampton went on to show glimpses of his best in a fine win over Nonito Donaire, while his IBF featherweight title defeat against Josh Warrington in 2018 was a firecracker of a fight.
But on Saturday night he looked way past his best as he struggled to get inside the long jab of Herring, only to find a left hand waiting every time he did.
The towel came in on the night and then on his career.
“I’m looking forward to just dedicating my life to my wife and my kids,” said Frampton.