NEW YORK – IBF 122-pound world champion Carl Frampton unified the super bantamweight division with a split decision victory over WBA titlist Scott Quigg Saturday on SHOWTIME BOXING INTERNATIONAL from Manchester, England.

An encore presentation of Saturday’s telecast will re-air later this evening immediately following the live SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® telecast headlined by three-division world champion Leo Santa Cruz and former titlist Kiko Martinez.  The SHOWTIME telecast begins at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

The long-awaited matchup of unbeaten champions got off to a slow and tactical start, but Belfast native Frampton (22-0, 14 KOs) established himself as the aggressor and worked his jab to pocket the early rounds.  Quigg didn’t come alive until after the seventh, when trainer Joe Gallagher warned his charge that he was likely down big on the judges’ scorecards.

Quigg (31-1-2) pounded the body and was the aggressor in rounds eight through 11, but it was too little, too late for the Lancashire, England native.  Frampton won the 12th and walked away the unified champion by scores of 115-113 for Quigg, but 116-112 twice for Frampton.

Frampton said afterwards: “I did what I had to do to make it easy for myself.

“I couldn’t believe what was going on when I heard the split decision – I felt I was a comfortable winner – but it’s onwards and upwards for me now.

“I knew it was going to be a tactical fight all along and a bit timid but you have to do what it takes to win. I’m not going to rush into silly punches. You have to be smart. I was and I got the win.

“He’s a solid puncher… I think both of us are and that is why it was so cautious early on. But he never really rocked me.”

Frampton was keen to forget about the pre-bout rivalry, adding on BBC Radio 5 Live: That’s the end of all the disrespect – from my side anyway.

“I’m proud to have beaten a very good fighter tonight. There’s a lot of history between our teams but he was a worthy champion.”