Hobart boxer Luke Jackson will not only need to contend with the might of Irishman Carl Frampton in Belfast on Saturday – he will also be on the wrong side of 25,000 Irish fans.
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Northern Ireland’s Windsor Park has sold out for the WBO interim featherweight world title bout with the 33-year-old Jackson, unbeaten as a professional, looking to steal the prize.
“Across the board he [Frampton] is phenomenal, but I don’t think he is as good as he once was,” the 2012 Olympian told UK newspaper The Telegraph ahead of his maiden European fight.
“In the first fight against Leo Santa Cruz he boxed out of his skin and deserved to win, but he hasn’t looked the same since.
“Carl is a very good fighter who does everything good, but I don’t honestly think he does anything great.”
Frampton, who boasts a 25-1 win-loss record, is your typical boxer – not short of confidence. His only loss came against Santa Cruz in January last year, and since then he has bounced back with two unanimous points decision victories in Belfast against Horacio Garcia and Nonito Donaire.
“I'm faster than him, I hit harder than him, I’m a better boxer than him and I’m a better fighter,” the 31-year-old said.
“He may say he is fitter than me, maybe he is. He may beat me at Ninja Warrior but in boxing terms he can’t beat me.
“I think he’ll find out on the night what elite level boxing is all about – I’m a level above him.”
The fight will be broadcast live on FOXSports 506 from 5am EST.