By Edward Chaykovsky

Former world champion Scott Quigg has actually praised and backed his domestic rival, Carl Frampton (23-0, 14KOs), for last month's career defining performance.

After years of hype, Frampton and Quigg finally met in the ring back in February. Frampton handed Quigg his first career defeat, and also broke his jaw on pace to winning a twelve round decision. In the process Frampton unified the IBF/WBA super bantamweight titles.

Last month, Frampton moved up to the featherweight division to challenge unbeaten Leo Santa Cruz for the WBA championship. In a 'Fight of The Year' contender, Frampton won a very impressive twelve round decision at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

Frampton will now honor a rematch clause and face Santa Cruz for a second time this coming fall.

Quigg is also gunning for a rematch of his own. Frampton might face Quigg at some point in the future, but he doesn't think the fight will ever happen because the contest lacked fireworks and doubts the public is clamoring for a second showing.

“I don’t know. At the minute I don’t think it will happen. He seems to be a bit desperate at the minute. Before the fight I was calling Quigg a Sky TV hype job, that’s what I said in the build up to the fight and I was being honest.  I genuinely believe that and I think that I proved it as well,” Frampton told Sky Sports' Toe To Toe Podcast.

“The fight wasn’t a good fight, it wasn’t appealing to the fans. I won the fight without having to get out of first gear. It was a boring fight and no one wants to see it. If he strings a few wins together and a few exciting performances then there is potential of it happening again, but at the minute I have bigger fish to fry. I beat him convincingly in first gear and I want the big names.

“No disrespect to Scott Quigg, but outside of Bury nobody knows who he is.” Santa Cruz, [Lee] Selby, Gary Russell, Oscar Valdez these are the names I want to be fighting, not Scott Quigg, but I I have to fight him then I’ll fight him.”

Based on Frampton's comments, one would expect Quigg to fire right back - but he surprisingly praised his former foe.

"I thought he boxed very well and on the night I thought he won the fight by three rounds. I thought he was very comfortable in there and tactically he got it spot on and he boxed a very, very clever fight. You have to give credit were it is due and Shane [McGuigan] came up with a very good game plan, and nullified Santa Cruz’s output," said Quigg to IFL TV.