Carl Frampton has defended Josh Warrington for his aggressive approach against Kiko Martinez last weekend.
Warrington emerged as the IBF featherweight champion for the second time in his career to put behind him a defeat and a draw against Mauricio Lara last year.
In the rematch with Lara back in August the fight was stopped due to a cut to Warrington’s opponent, with the judge ruling the injury was delivered by an accidental headbutt. It is not the first time that observers have suggested that Warrington’s head-down approach has forced a cut.
However Frampton, now retired and a former super bantamweight and featherweight champion, believes that the Briton was simply looking for any advantage while staying within the rules.
“It was a really good performance from Josh and I know he has been getting stick for being dirty and he is, but professional boxing is a dirty game,” he wrote in the Belfast Telegraph.
“One of the most lauded fighters of all time is Roberto Duran and he was an extremely dirty fighter.
“I know from experience that Warrington bulls in with his head but he’s not deliberately trying to open cuts. He knows what he’s doing and it’s clever because if he keeps his head down and they clash, then he will not come off worse.
“I took a few headbutts from him when we fought but I didn’t complain as that’s just the way it is and if you can get away with it, you do it.
“Kiko’s vision was blurred from halfway through the first round and then he was obviously on unsteady legs two or three rounds before it was stopped as I could see from ringside that at the end of those rounds he didn’t walk in a straight line into the corner, but almost staggered back.
“However, the performance from Josh was very good and at times he was pushing Kiko around and bullying him, which is not an easy thing to do against someone who has always been known for being so strong and aggressive.”
Warrington suggested that in his next fight he hopes to travel to the United States.