Carl Frampton is probably just getting over his hard-fought victory against Scott Quigg.
The Northern Irishman outpointed Quigg in their bantamweight title unification bout at the Manchester Arena.
But while the Belfast fighter is still polishing his WBA and IBF belts, he’s already been given an ultimatum to face a mandatory challenger – and his prospective opponent is a bit of an animal.
The WBA has told Frampton and his manager Barry McGuigan that he must face unbeaten Cuban Guillermo Rigondeaux to avoid being stripped of his super-bantamweight title.
The 35-year-old fighter, who fled his native Cuba to turn pro, was the former WBA and WBO world champion until he was stripped of the belts due to inactivity.
Rigondeaux, who is 16-0, is a two time Olympic gold medal winner and is a man who esteemed coach Freddie Roach called “the greatest talent I’ve ever seen”
Now it looks like the two unbeaten men could be on a collision course to fight before the deadline of July 27.
Rigondeaux’s “impressive record and accomplishments” have put him in the position of mandatory challenger for Frampton’s next fight.
And he’s not shy about calling out the 22-0 champ on Twitter either…
Fact. #Frampton is scared like Quigg and Santa Cruz before him. I don't blame him but you all should. pic.twitter.com/shDYKqZnEg
— Guillermo Rigondeaux (@RigoElChacal305) March 4, 2016
Join the #Rigolution . Fans should demand the best to fight the best! pic.twitter.com/P4RbWlKuxu
— Guillermo Rigondeaux (@RigoElChacal305) March 5, 2016
However, the IBF have also ordered a mandatory defence against Shinji Wake which could throw a spanner in the works.
Boxing fans will be able to see exactly what the Cuban is capable of when he faces British champion Jazza Dickens in Liverpool on March 12.
He looks like an absolute machine…
https://twitter.com/KOKINGS4/status/702241141551472645
