Carl Frampton dispensed with Chris Avalos Saturday with relative ease, as we knew he probably would, even if we also knew Avalos was going to bring the reckless attacking, which he tried to do.
The fight itself matters less than this:
Frampton is right in the thick of a glut of fighters who can make competitive or otherwise appealing bouts at 122, with names like Guillermo Rigondeaux, Leo Santa Cruz and Scott Quigg. Quigg is the one who offers the richest purse, with Frampton’s Irish fan base and Quigg’s English. But there are so many fights at around junior featherweight and featherweight not happening that it’s time for everybody to get off their asses.
Quigg appeared in the ring after the fight, saying he was ready to go, and Frampton did, too, but the location of the fight could be a point of dispute, even with both men saying they would fight the other wherever. Frampton’s promoter Barry McGuigan was trying to argue superior leverage during the interview exchange, but Frampton and Quigg themselves sounded cool with whatever. It’s a good, moneymaking regional fight — if not, as Frampton said, Carl Froch-George Groves, then close to the level of Amir Khan-Kell Brook — and while Frampton-Rigo is probably better competitively and is the champ vs. the #1, well, this is prizefighting, and there’s a bigger prize on the line with Frampton-Quigg.
Frampton is just a damn good fighter, as he showed against Avalos, himself a top 5 junior featherweight. Avalos launched some big, wild shots, and a couple landed; Frampton was sharper and shorter with his, and you don’t need an advanced degree in boxing writing to see how a fight like that’s gonna go. Avalos pled some kind of shoulder injury but the contest was already well out of hand by then. Frampton dropped Avalos in the 5th and then finished him off with a brutal, sustained assault.
If a fighter can face a top 5 opponent in his division and the bout is still considered a moderate waste of time, you’re probably on to something with said fighter. Find something better to do with your time now, Frampton!
