Carl Frampton fights Chris Avalos on ITV

From the desk of Brian Walpole, CWM Cyclone Promotions: Boxing returns to live terrestrial television with ITV

“ITV will screen live IBF super bantamweight champion Carl Frampton’s eagerly awaited first title defence against Chris Avalos. Boxing fans will be able to enjoy free to air coverage of all the action from the CWM FX sponsored bout taking place in Belfast on February 28.”

Promoted by Barry McGuigan’s CWM Cyclone Promotions, Frampton v Avalos will be broadcast live and exclusive on ITV’s flagship main channel. A top quality undercard, featuring a world title eliminator plus a number of exciting international bouts involving some of the best prospects in British boxing, will be screened live on ITV4.

Frampton vs Avalos will be the first World championship fight staged in the UK to be broadcast live on terrestrial television since Carl Froch beat Jean Pascal for the WBC super-middleweight title in 2008. Amir Khan featured in the last live broadcast abroad against Paulie Malignaggi in New York in 2010.

Undefeated Frampton is one of the most explosive talents in World boxing and follows in the footsteps of mentor McGuigan as the latest superstar to emerge from Belfast. The Odyssey Arena, known as ‘The Jackal’s Den’, will be packed to capacity with 9,000 devotees creating one of the most daunting atmospheres in world boxing for the American challenger Avalos, ranked no.1 challenger by the IBF and WBO.

McGuigan said, “This is a great day for Carl Frampton and CWM Cyclone Promotions but it is also a great day for the sport of boxing. We are very excited to be partnering with ITV in bringing World championship boxing back to the mainstream public. ITV have for the past thirty years been at the forefront of big time boxing on terrestrial television and it is excellent news that Carl Frampton will become the latest in a long line of World champions who have boxed on ITV. Frampton vs Avalos is going to be a cracking contest between two of the best Super Bantamweights in the World. The viewers on ITV are in for a fantastic evening of World class boxing.”

IBF champion Frampton said, “I am delighted to be defending my World title live on ITV on the 28th of February. When I was a young lad all of the big fights were on ITV so to be defending my World title on the channel is a dream come true. Boxing needs mainstream exposure and I am thrilled to be part of its return to terrestrial television with ITV.”

Craig Droste, General Manager of London-based Forex trading company CWM FX said, “As proud sponsors of CWM Cyclone Promotions we know how hard Carl and the team have been working in the build up to this world-class fight and it’s fantastic news that this momentous occasion is going to be shared with millions of viewers live on ITV.”

Niall Sloane, Head of Sport at ITV said, “This fight presents an opportunity to showcase a young, exciting British boxer to our audience. We’re looking forward to bringing viewers an evening of world class boxing.”

The World Is Not Enough, Frampton vs Avalos, sponsored by CWM FX, will be screened live and exclusively on ITV on Saturday the 28th of February. The full build-up to Frampton vs Avalos and its action-packed undercard will be live on ITV4.

 Tickets for The World Is Not Enough, Frampton vs Avalos, sponsored by CWM FX, are on sale now at Ticketmaster – www.ticketmaster.ie or 0844 277 4455 – and the Odyssey Arena Box Office (028 9073 9074). 

For VIP and Ringside tickets please call 0845 900 3765.

The World Is Not Enough

Frampton vs. Avalos

Tale of the Tape

Carl Frampton 

Age: 27

Hometown: Belfast

Nickname: The Jackal

Record: 19 (13) – 0

Debut: 12/06/2009

Height: 5’ 5½” (165cm)

Reach: 65” (165cm)

Titles Held: IBF World Super Bantamweight (current), European (EBU), Commonwealth, IBF Intercontinental and Celtic Super Bantamweight

Chris Avalos 

Age: 25

Hometown: Lancaster, California

Nickname: The Hitman

Record: 25 (19) – 2

Debut: 01/02/2008

Height: 5’ 7” (170cm)

Reach: 67½” (171cm)

Titles Held: WBO Intercontinental and WBO NABO Bantamweight, NABA USA Super Bantamweight – IBF Super Bantamweight Mandatory Challenger, WBO Super Bantamweight Mandatory Challenger