Boxing – Carl Frampton v Kiko Martinez Live

Held at the Titanic Quarter in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and expected to produce an all-time Northern Irish record crowd of 16,000 boxing fans in attendance, Carl Frampton gets his eagerly awaited world title shot in a rematch against Kiko Martinez.

For those who won’t be at the venue, Box Nation are screening the IBF super-bantamweight bout and full card from 19:00 on Saturday.

Tale of the tape

Managed by Barry McGuigan and trained by the former WBA world champion’s son, Shane, Carl Frampton recorded an impressive 100-8 win record as an amateur.

Nicknamed ‘The Jackal,’ Belfast-born Frampton has been equally impressive since joining the professional ranks, compiling an undefeated 18-0 record with 13 wins inside the distance.

Kiko Martinez, on the other hand, fought 40 bouts as an amateur and won 38 of them by knockout, before turning professional in 2004. The Spaniard currently has a 31-4 pro record with 23 wins by KO.

Frampton set for stardom

Martinez is the type of fighter that stalks his opponent and tries to cut the ring space off, and he shouldn’t fight any differently this time, while Frampton  has a good defence, hits hard and boxes well on the move.

Articulate and marketable, Frampton is perceived to be a star in the making.

Frampton beats Martinez to win European title

Although the then European champion Martinez pegged Frampton to the ropes in the early stages of their first bout, in February 2013, the slick Irishman was constantly landing shots on the counter and looked set to win on points had he not landed a stunning, picture-perfect right hand to end the contest in the 9^th round.

Martinez wins IBF world title

After losing by stoppage for the first time in his career, Martinez defeated Argentine Damian Marchiano before upsetting the then undefeated Columbian Jonatan Romero to win the IBF world super-bantamweight championship. Martinez has since twice defended his title, winning by knockout on each occasion.

Frampton v Martinez 2 Betting

Betfred offers 1/4 about a Frampton win, while Spaniard Martinez is 4/1 with Bet365 and most others firms. The draw, should you fancy it, is best priced at 25/1 with Paddy Power.

Of course, nothing is guaranteed in betting, one can only offer an opinion, but I just can’t see anything other than a Frampton win this weekend. The Irishman is disciplined, highly-skilled, well-trained, has already beaten his opponent and enjoys home advantage.

A win by stoppage (10/11 Ladbrokes) seems most likely for the Belfast man, but Martinez was hindered by a cut in their first bout and downed with the sort of punch that’s hard to repeat. Otherwise, Martinez hasn’t been stopped and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the tough Spaniard last the distance this time.

As such, the best bet, and not recommended at any less, is to back Frampton at 1.25 with Betfred as a single, or add to your weekend multiple if you won’t bet at such a price.

My personal guess in the method of victory market is that Frampton will win on points (15/8 Paddy Power), but it’s just a calculated guess and I’ll easily find something to double the straight win up with instead. Certainly, it makes for calmer viewing, and we have a cracking fight in prospect!