Carl Frampton expecting world title fight to be postponed due to coronavirus

Northern Irishman cannot spar or train properly at present due to social distancing restrictions

Carl Frampton is doubtful that his WBO super-featherweight title fight with Jamel Herring will take place in June due to current social distancing restrictions which mean he cannot spar or prepare properly.

The 33-year-old Northern Irishman has been training on his own at home after the Government put in place restrictions to stop the spread of coronavirus.

Frampton, who has previously held world titles at super-bantamweight and featherweight, told the BBC: “I can’t spar, we can’t do anything. This fight is tentatively pencilled in for June. I very much doubt to see the fight taking place in June.

“How can it take place? For example, if things maybe do clear up by the end of May, and the fight can go ahead mid-June, but I’ll have been in a 10-week isolation camp in my garage with two weeks with my coach.

“It doesn’t make sense and it wouldn’t be fair for both fighters to prepare that way for a world title fight, so I very, very much doubt that it’s going to happen in June – but I’m training now as if it is until I hear otherwise.”

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Frampton inflicted a first-ever defeat on American Tyler McCreary in Las Vegas last November to give himself a shot at the WBO super-featherweight title.

If he wins the super-featherweight belt he would become Ireland’s first-ever three-weight world champion.

PA