Glenn McCrory expects big things from Carl Frampton, even if he didn't hit the heights on Saturday night.
Frampton looks set for a long and exciting journey
I think it's fair to say Carl Frampton didn't exactly dazzle on Saturday night.
But that is more to do with his opponent, Robbie Turley, than anything Barry McGuigan's young protege did wrong. Sometimes in boxing you have those tough nights when it is all about getting the victory, winning ugly, and that is just what he did.
As soon as he realised he wasn't going to get the guy of there, he settled into his boxing which was good to see. He picked up a cut and then spent the next couple of rounds staying out of the way, protecting it, which was also good to see.
You have to give Turley credit because he came to win and was as tough as any Welshman I've seen. Even with all the dancing and prancing and dropping his hands, he was always going to make life awkward. But even though it was not his best performance, there is a lot to like about Frampton.
I popped down to see him last week as part of
Ringside's prospects for 2011 and was pleased to find he is a very nice young kid, extremely level-headed with his feet on the ground. Personally he seems to have all the qualities to succeed in this tough sport, which is encouraging.
I spoke to him straight after the fight on Saturday and he was happy to admit that he thought it was going to be all too easy. You can forgive a kid who's new to the pro game for thinking that and to be fair to him, his first nine bouts had been pretty straightforward.
Struggle
This a tough game and there are plenty of lessons to learn along the way and coming up against someone like Turley, so early on, will stand the lad in good stead. Up-and-coming fighters need nights like that.
We've just seen James DeGale have his first real struggle in the pro ranks and he lost his title and unbeaten record in the process; at least Frampton kept both of those.
He showed a very cool head on young shoulders. Technically he looks very good; I like his compact style and his fast hands. He has a good jab which I would've liked to have seen more of on Saturday, but his skills look very, very accomplished at this early stage.
What I also like is that his first instinct is to have a fight! You can see he just wants to go out there and knock the guy out, much like Ricky Hatton. But we also know now he can box and fall back on that when he has to. He looks a terrific natural talent.
But he is the sort of kid that is trying to improve, pick up new things along the way. You never stop learning in boxing as, even at 46, our old friend Bernard Hopkins keeps showing us, and Frampton looks like he knows that is the case.
Good hands
He is in very good hands as well. Our old friend Barry McGuigan is working with him in a managerial/advisory role but the boxing is all done by Gerry Storey, which is the way it should be.
Barry's son Shane, who has decided to go down the trainer route, is also involved. He deals more with Carl's conditioning and he is, like Frampton himself, another one who is keen to soak up information and advice, learn his trade properly.
With the greatest respect, Barry is not a trainer and nor does he profess to be. But with him on board it means Frampton will have a world of experience to call on and it will increase his popularity, especially over in Ireland. It will also give the lad some extra clout in terms of promotion and attracting the big names.
And there are plenty of those in the super-bantamweight division in Britain right now. Rendall Munroe is the stand-out and I am not sure I would go near him yet, but someone like Jason Booth - who looks to be on the way down after a bad knockout at the hands of Kiko Martinez - would be a great fight for Frampton and the chance to test himself and learn plenty against a wily old pro.
Boxing is a long, hard journey and McGuigan will be telling the lad that. But he has made a very promising start to his and from what I have seen in and out of the ring, it could well be a very exciting one for Frampton.
Click on the video to see Glenn meet Frampton and the McGuigans before Saturday's fight...
