Results from Belfast: Carl Frampton takes out the Canadian Kid
Barry McGuigan has, for quite some time now, banged the Carl Frampton drum. He has told the press of the young Belfast-man’s power, his dedication and most of all, his potential. Last night in his hometown, Frampton enjoyed something of a coming out party as he downed Steve Molitor three times on route to a sixth round stoppage victory. The outcome sees Frampton emerge from the prospect to contender status, despite having just fifteen fights on his ledger.
Frampton was on top of Molitor, known as “The Canadian Kid”, from the start of the first round until the stoppage came. Hovering around the ring on fast feet, Frampton did not let Molitor get set, pressuring him and stripping his confidence away round by round. The first three rounds saw Frampton connect with straight right hands as he came in to range unloading volleys of punches, not all connecting, before getting out without allowing Molitor to reply.
Frampton showed no fear in the face of his vastly more experienced opponent, though failing to jab his way inside, his work almost became predictable by the later stages of the fourth. Nonetheless, the high work rate was something Molitor simply could not cope with. Come the sixth, his desperate attempts to haul himself into the fight were found to be futile as Frampton stormed into him, forcing him to the canvas for the a final time as the fight was called off.
Molitor did not look badly damaged, but the way in which he was incessantly attacked by the younger Frampton, coupled with his statement that he would retire if he lost, look to leave the former world titlist with nowhere to go.
Frampton, on the other hand, seems to have galloped ahead in the British super-bantamweight race, with Scott Quigg and Rendall Munroe set to face-off on the undercard of Ricky Hatton’s return to the ring later in the year. For Frampton, a fight with the winner of that clash seems the most sensible way forward, and on this showing, Barry McGuigan’s claims that he is the best of the lot appear to be well-spoken.
