Photograph: theboxingtribune.com
Hugo Cazares claimed that he was angry with his stoppage loss to Carl Frampton on April 4. Even though the referee was receiving the brunt of the disgust he should also accept some responsibility for failing to answer the count on time.
Photograph: Russell Pritchard
Phil Sutcliffe Jnr will be fighting for the European title in 10 fights’ time if new manager Pat Magee’s career plan comes to fruition. Pat has plenty of experience in the boxing game after managing Brian Magee and Kiko Martinez in recent years. Now he sees Sutcliffe as the man with the right credentials to push Dublin boxing back on to the map.
Irish middleweight contender Andy Lee, 31-2 (22 KOs), will be in action this Saturday evening against Frenchman Frank Haroche Horta, 34-12-5 (13 KOs), in a Sauerland Promotion event at the Blue Water Dokken Sports Venue, Esbjerk, Denmark.
Photograph: Russell Pritchard
Jamie Conlan finally got a title belt around his waist following a seventh-round stoppage victory over durable Belgian Benjamin Smoes on Friday, April 4. Conlan’s bout was increased to a 12-round affair which will work in his favour whenever a case is made for British or Commonwealth title shots.
Photograph: Russell Pritchard/Cyclone Promotions
Carl Frampton moved one step closer to a world title shot by stopping former two-time world champion Hugo Cazares in the second round. Entering the ring to the raucous atmosphere he has become accustomed to, Frampton was out to rubberstamp his credentials and prove that he belongs in the ring with the likes of WBC world champion Leo Santa Cruz.
Photograph: Russell Pritchard/Cyclone Promotions
Red-hot middleweight prospect Conrad Cummings has admitted that moving to London was exactly what he needed to aid his development as a professional. Even though the 22-year-old is still in the embryonic stages of his career, Cummings is already adapting to the new regime set out by trainer Shane McGuigan. Some quality sparring with the likes of former world title challenger Andy Lee will help bring him on even quicker.
Photograph: Matchroom Boxing
Eamonn O’Kane has a big opportunity to cement his place in the WBC rankings on Friday night when he tackles Mexico’s Alvaro Gaona for the WBC’s vacant International Silver title. ‘King Kane’ has been working hard with Bernardo Checa in training and is anxious to impress.
Photograph: boxaldia.com
Alvaro Gaona has travelled a fair distance over to Belfast but the amiable 28-year-old insists that his flight will not be in vain come fight night. The Mexican visitor does not display a brash personality and politely declined when asked to make a prediction before his WBC International Silver title clash with Eamonn O’Kane on April 4.
Photograph: Russell Pritchard
CARL FRAMPTON has been presented with the Boxer of the Year award for 2013 by the Irish Boxing Writers’ Association (IBWA). The award follows the 27-year-old’s European title win over Kiko Martinez and successful title defence against Jeremy Parodi in 2013, with both fights ending in knockout victories.
Photograph: ©Russell Pritchard/Cyclone Promotions
All is well in training camp and the last hard week of sparring is done and dusted. Carl Frampton is mellowing down and readying himself for a WBC eliminator against Hugo Cazares that will, if successful, push him closer to a world title opportunity. Trainer Shane McGuigan has overseen almost 200 rounds of sparring in the build-up and the WBC’s 30-day weight check-in is routinely ticked off the list. Frampton is fully aware that he needs to be in the best shape of his career to mix at such an esteemed level. He admits that with huge prizes within touching distance it is not just about winning his upcoming bout with ‘El Increible’ but looking good in the process.