Carl Frampton-Chris Avalos: Pre-Fight Report Card

by Cliff Rold

The first time he beat Kiko Martinez, Carl Frampton took a big step forward at 122 lbs.   The second time they squared off, he had his first major title belt.  The crowd that night was rowdy and fun, loving the crowning of a native son.

Now, they get to cheer their man on to keep it.

Maybe there is a possible showdown against World Champion Guillermo Rigondeuax.  Maybe, just over the horizon, a clash with Scott Quigg that could be the UK’s answer to Morales-Barrera.  Before Frampton can get there, he has a sturdy, legitimate top ten contender to deal with.

Can Chris Avalos move the horizon farther into the distance (Saturday, AWE, 3:30 PM EST/12:30 PM PST)?

Let’s go the report card.

The Ledgers

Carl Frampton

Age: 28

Title: IBF Super Bantamweight (2014-Present, 1st Attempted Defense)

Previous Titles: None

Height: 5’5

Weight: 122 lbs.

Hails from: Belfast, Northern Ireland

Record: 19-0, 13 KO


Record in Major Title Fights: 1-0

Rankings: #1 (BoxingScene, TBRB, Ring), #2 (BoxRec), #3 (ESPN)

Current/Former World Champions/Titlists Faced: 3 (Steve Molitor TKO6; Kiko Martinez TKO9, UD12; Hugo Cazares KO2)

Vs.

Chris Avalos

Age: 25

Title/Previous Titles: None

Height: 5’7

Weight: 121.9 lbs.

Hails from: Lancaster, California

Record: 25-2, 19 KO


Record in Major Title Fights: 1st Major Title Fight

Rankings: #5 (BoxingScene, TBRB, Ring, BoxRec), #6 (ESPN)

Current/Former World Champions/Titlists Faced: 2 (Jhonatan Romero L10)

Grades

Pre-Fight: Intangibles – Frampton A; Avalos B

This is a good style clash with Avalos likely to lead and Frampton comfortable playing the counter puncher.  Against Martinez, Frampton used his legs and jab to open up scoring opportunities.  Martinez was dropped in both fights, and stopped in the first, walking into the traps the quicker Frampton set.

Avalos has never been stopped and his losses to both Jhonatan Romero and Christopher Martin never saw him give up.  He keeps throwing.  A standout of this match is the combination punching of both fighters.  Both men will let their hands go in close.  That will make for exciting spots.

No matter the range, Frampton would appear to have the edge in precision and speed.  Avalos sometimes throws wide and can get caught head hunting.  When he goes to the body, he can have effect.  He’s not always consistent in that regard.

As good as Frampton looked playing matador to Martinez’s bull, he also capable of coming forward and bringing the fight.  He wasted no time with the faded Cazares or Molitor, bringing the fight to them.  It’s one of his big upsides.  He employs the styles that suit the opponent. 

Against Avalos, it will probably be the wiser course to employ something along the lines of what he did with Martinez.  Punching between the looping shots of Avalos could gain him a mental advantage early that carries the rest of the fight.  While both men get hit, Frampton is the better defensive fighter.  He rolls and blocks well and creates good space to maneuver an aggressive foe around. 

The Pick

On paper, this just looks like a good fighter against a much better one.  The better one will have the crowd on his side to emphasize every good punch he lands.  It won’t be close enough for that to be a deciding factor.  Frampton is a littler shorter than Avalos but Avalos doesn’t fight tall.  He’s going to come to the quicker, sharper fighter and that’s going to make for a long night.  The effort of Avalos will make this a fun fight to watch.  It will be more fun for Frampton who should see a healthy decision in his favor.   

Report Card and Staff Picks 2015: 5-0

Cliff Rold is a member of the Ring Magazine Ratings Advisory Panel, the Yahoo Pound for Pound voting panel, and the Boxing Writers Association of America.  He can be reached at roldboxing@hotmail.com