Carl Frampton facts for kids

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Carl Frampton
MBE

Frampton at Stormont, 2013

Statistics

Nickname(s)

The Jackal
Brick Fists

Rated at

Super-bantamweight
Featherweight
Super-featherweight
Lightweight

Height

5 ft 5 in

Reach

62 in

Born

21 February 1987 (age 38)
Tigers Bay, Belfast,
Northern Ireland

Stance

Orthodox

Boxing record

Total fights

Wins

Wins by KO

Losses

Medal record

Men's amateur boxing

Representing Ireland
EU Championships
Silver	Dublin 2007	Featherweight

Carl Frampton (born 21 February 1987) is a famous former professional boxer from Northern Ireland. He competed from 2009 to 2021. Carl is special because he won world championships in two different weight classes. These included the IBF super bantamweight title from 2014 to 2016, and the WBA (Super) featherweight title from 2016 to 2017.

When he won the featherweight world title in 2016, Carl Frampton became the first boxer from Northern Ireland to hold world titles in two weight classes. This amazing achievement earned him "Fighter of the Year" awards from top boxing magazines and groups.

Carl Frampton stopped boxing professionally after his fight against Jamel Herring for the WBO junior-lightweight title.

Amateur Career

Before turning professional, Carl Frampton was a very successful amateur boxer. Amateur boxing means boxers don't get paid for their fights. He trained at the Midland Boxing Club in Tiger's Bay.

Carl won the Irish senior flyweight title in 2005. Later, in 2009, he also won the Irish featherweight title. He beat David Oliver Joyce in the final.

He also won a silver medal at the 2007 European Union Amateur Boxing Championships in Dublin. He lost to France's Khedafi Djelkhir in the final match. Carl Frampton had a great amateur record, winning 114 of his fights and losing only 11 times.

Carl grew up in a Unionist area of Belfast. He was proud to box for the Irish team. He said that Irish boxing supported him from a young age. He felt humbled by the support he received from all over Ireland and the UK.

Professional Career

Super-bantamweight

Early Career

Carl Frampton became a professional boxer after winning the Irish featherweight finals in 2009. His first professional fight was in June 2009 in Liverpool, England. He won by knocking out Sandor Szinavel in the second round.

In January 2010, he was named Ireland's "Prospect of the Year." This award is given to a promising new boxer. In September 2010, he had an exciting win over Yuri Voronin. This win made people compare him to the famous boxer Barry McGuigan.

In December 2010, Carl won his first professional title. It was the BBBofC Celtic super-bantamweight title. He won by a technical knockout (TKO) in the second round against Gavin Reid. After this win, he defended his title against Robbie Turley in June 2011. He won by a unanimous decision, meaning all judges agreed he won.

Domestic and Regional Success

Carl continued to win titles. He fought Mark Quon for the Commonwealth super-bantamweight title in Belfast in September 2011. He won by TKO in the fourth round. He successfully defended this title twice more in 2012.

In May 2012, Carl won the IBF Inter-continental super-bantamweight title. He beat Raúl Hirales, Jr. by a unanimous decision. In September 2012, he faced former world champion Steve Molitor. Carl won with an impressive TKO in the sixth round. After this victory, Carl felt ready for a world title fight.

On 9 February 2013, Carl Frampton fought Kiko Martinez for the European super-bantamweight title. Martinez was a tough opponent who had never been knocked down before. Carl won by TKO in the ninth round, becoming the European champion. He also kept his IBF Inter-Continental title.

In October 2013, Carl defended his titles against Jeremy Parodi. He knocked Parodi out in the sixth round. In April 2014, he fought Hugo Cazares in a final fight to decide who would challenge for the WBC super-bantamweight title. Carl knocked out Cazares in the second round with a powerful left hook.

Frampton vs. Martínez II

Carl Frampton got his first chance to fight for a world title on 6 September 2014. It was a rematch against Kiko Martinez, who held the IBF super-bantamweight title. The fight took place outdoors in Belfast.

Carl knocked Martinez down in the fifth round. He then won the fight by a unanimous decision, becoming a world champion for the first time! He was very emotional and proud of his achievement. He said he wanted to keep the title for a long time. After the fight, his manager, Barry McGuigan, said Carl could become the best Irish fighter ever.

Carl was nominated for the RTE Sports Person of the Year in 2014. In 2015, he was even named "Britain's Coolest Man" by a magazine! In 2016, he was given an MBE award for his contributions to boxing.

Frampton vs. Avalos

In February 2015, Carl defended his IBF title for the first time against American boxer Chris Avalos. The fight was held in Belfast in front of a huge crowd. Carl won by a knockout in the fifth round. It was a very strong performance.

Frampton vs. González Jr.

Carl defended his IBF World title again in July 2015, this time in Texas, USA. His opponent was Alejandro González Jr.. In the first round, Carl was knocked down twice, which was a big surprise! However, Carl quickly recovered and fought back strongly. He won the fight by a clear unanimous decision.

Frampton vs. Quigg

For a long time, fans wanted to see Carl Frampton fight Scott Quigg, another undefeated super-bantamweight champion. This big fight was finally announced for 27 February 2016, in Manchester, England. It was a huge event in British boxing.

The fight was very close. Carl Frampton controlled the first half of the fight. Scott Quigg fought back strongly in the later rounds. In the end, Carl Frampton won by a split decision. This meant two judges thought Carl won, and one thought Scott won. Carl kept his IBF title and also won the WBA (super) super-bantamweight title. After the fight, it was revealed that Scott Quigg had broken his jaw.

In March 2016, Carl decided not to fight Guillermo Rigondeaux, another champion. Because of this, he was stripped of his WBA (Regular) title.

Featherweight

Frampton vs. Santa Cruz

Carl Frampton then moved up to a new weight class, featherweight. He fought the undefeated Mexican boxer Léo Santa Cruz for the WBA (Super) featherweight title. This exciting fight took place in New York City on 30 July 2016.

Carl made history by becoming the first boxer from Northern Ireland to win world titles in two different weight classes! He beat Santa Cruz by a majority decision after 12 rounds. This means two judges scored it for Carl, and one scored it a draw. Carl said it was a dream come true to win titles in two divisions. He also hoped to defend his new title in Belfast.

Frampton vs. Santa Cruz II

Because their first fight was so exciting, Carl Frampton and Léo Santa Cruz had a rematch. This time, the fight was in Las Vegas on 28 January 2017. Carl lost his title in this fight by a majority decision. Both boxers showed interest in a third fight, possibly in Belfast.

Change of Promoters

After losing his title, Carl Frampton decided to make some changes. He was thinking about moving up to super featherweight to try and win a world title in a third weight class.

In July 2017, Carl was set to fight Mexican boxer Andrés Gutiérrez in Belfast. However, the fight was cancelled just one day before it was supposed to happen. Gutiérrez had an accident in his hotel shower and got injured.

Soon after, Carl announced that he was leaving his long-time promoter, Cyclone Promotions. He then hired a new trainer, Jamie Moore. In September, Carl also signed a deal with MTK Global as his advisors. A day later, he joined British promoter Frank Warren. Carl wanted to fight in Belfast again and aim for another world title in 2018.

Frampton vs. García

Carl Frampton's first fight with his new trainer and promoter was on 18 November 2017, in Belfast. He fought Mexican boxer Horacio García. Carl won the ten-round fight by a unanimous decision. It wasn't his easiest win, and he even got knocked down in round 7, though some thought it might have been a slip. Carl admitted he let himself get into a tough battle. He said the fight helped him shake off any "rust" from his time away.

Frampton vs. Donaire

In April 2018, Carl Frampton fought former four-weight world champion Nonito Donaire in Belfast. This was a big fight for the WBO interim featherweight title. Carl won the fight by a unanimous decision. It was a close match, and Donaire landed some strong punches, especially in the later rounds.

Frampton vs. Jackson

On 18 August 2018, Carl Frampton fought Luke Jackson at Windsor Park in Belfast. This was a huge event with 24,000 fans watching! Carl dominated the fight and stopped Jackson in the ninth round when Jackson's corner threw in the towel. Carl kept his WBO interim title. It was his first knockout win in a few years. Later, it was revealed that Jackson had ruptured both his eardrums during the fight.

Frampton vs. Warrington

After his win, Carl Frampton announced he would challenge Josh Warrington for the IBF featherweight title. The fight took place on 22 December 2018, in Manchester. Carl lost the fight by a unanimous decision.

Junior-lightweight

Frampton vs. McCreary

After his loss to Warrington, Carl Frampton was supposed to fight Emmanuel Dominguez in August 2019. However, he had to pull out because he accidentally fractured his left hand.

Once his hand healed, Carl moved up to the junior-lightweight division. He fought Tyler McCreary on 30 November 2019, in Las Vegas. Carl was aggressive from the start. He knocked McCreary down twice during the fight. Carl won the ten-round fight by a unanimous decision. After the win, he said he wanted to fight for a world title next.

Frampton vs. Traynor

Carl's next fight was planned for June 2020 against WBO champion Jamel Herring. But the COVID-19 pandemic caused it to be postponed. So, Carl had a "stay-busy" fight in August 2020 against Darren Traynor. Carl knocked Traynor down in the sixth round. He continued to attack Traynor's body, leading to Traynor quitting in the seventh round. This win brought Carl closer to fighting Jamel Herring.

Frampton vs. Herring

The fight with Jamel Herring was finally set for 4 April 2021, in Dubai. In the fifth round, Carl was knocked down by a straight left hand. He was knocked down again in the sixth round by an uppercut. Carl got back up, but his trainer decided to stop the fight to protect him. Carl lost by technical knockout in the sixth round.

After the fight, Carl Frampton announced his retirement from boxing. He said he wanted to spend more time with his family. He thanked boxing for being good to him and said he had enjoyed the best years of his career.

Legacy

Carl Frampton comes from Belfast, a city with a difficult history. He wanted to be remembered like his former manager, Barry McGuigan. McGuigan was seen as a symbol of peace during his boxing career. Carl hoped his fights would bring people together, just like Barry's did.

Carl said he wanted to be a "legend" in Irish sport. He wanted people to talk about his fights for many years to come. Barry McGuigan believed Carl could become the best Irish fighter ever. He said Carl was a "beacon for peace and reconciliation" for Northern Ireland.

Like McGuigan, Carl Frampton has helped bring people from different backgrounds together. He is Protestant but married a Catholic woman. He has many loyal fans from both Catholic and Protestant communities who support him at his fights.

Professional boxing record

Professional record summary
31 fights	28 wins	3 losses
By knockout	16	1
By decision	12	2

Boxing awards

Ring Magazine Fighter of the Year: 2016
Sugar Ray Robinson Award: 2016

Images for kids

Frampton at Stormont, 2013