Scott Quigg v Carl Frampton: What the experts say

One of the most hotly-anticipated boxing bouts of the year is almost upon us with Scott Quigg and Carl Frampton set to battle it out in Manchester on February 27.

Bury man Quigg defends his WBA Super Bantamweight title, while Northern Irishman Frampton puts his IBF version of the same belt on the line.

The fight will bring months of controversy to a head and both men are confident of emerging as the division’s undisputed king.

The betting suggests that Frampton is the man most likely to win, with Barry McGuigan’s protégé the 4/7 favourite.

Quigg can be backed at 6/4, with an unlikely draw priced up at 25/1, but what do the experts think?

Here’s a rundown from some of the biggest names is boxing on where the bout will be won or lost.

Johnny Nelson – Frampton

The former WBU Heavyweight and WBO Cruiserweight champion, now a respected pundit at Sky Sports, is slightly torn as he is a big admirer of Quigg’s work but Nelson is not one to sit on the fence and is tipping Frampton to come out on top.

“I rate Scott Quigg and I hate going against him because he is such a nice kid and such a good fighter, I just think Frampton is the best of the bunch,” he told Sky.

“Of course Scott has been a world champion for a year with three defences but he is yet to have that defining fight that makes us go wow.”

Eddie Hearn – Quigg

As managing director of Matchroom Sport and Quigg’s promoter Hearn was never going to come out in support of Frampton but the Essex man isn’t one to blow smoke up his fighters’ backsides so his opinion carries weight despite his vested interest and he is backing his man to the hilt, saying: “I think it is going to be a brutal fight and a brutal finish. I cannot see Scott Quigg losing this fight. I just can’t see it. He is too determined, too big, too strong, devastating.”

Carl Froch –Undecided

Super Middleweight king Froch will delay his prediction until fight week when he can “look into each man’s eyes” and for now can’t separate the rivals.

“I really believe it is a 50/50 fight and I am going to leave my prediction to fight week – because honestly at this moment in time I cannot pick a winner,” the Cobra said

“Quigg has looked brilliant recently and is a good fighter. But Frampton is a great wee fighter, great champion, with a fast work rate. I rate him very highly, he is strong and he has a great team behind him with Barry and Shane McGuigan.”

Guillermo Rigondeaux – Doesn’t care

The WBC International champion and double Olympic Gold winner has accused both men of ducking the best fighters in the divisions and will hope to spark interest in his career on this side of the Atlantic when he meets Britain’s James Dickens in Liverpool next month.

The Cuban hopes to meet the winner of Quigg v Frampton and after branding both men cowards is happy to face either man.

“Frampton and Quigg are both cowards for finding ways to avoid the best in their division. We wait in anticipation to see if the winner of a great fight between them would step up and step in the ring with me, so the whole world can see who the best 122 pound fighter is,” he told Boxing News Online.

“Fans should come see the real super world champion in Liverpool, as I’ll be ready to put on a show and be in a position to happily knock out the winner, if either would even fathom the idea of stepping in the same ring with me.”

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.

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