WHILE Carl Frampton may have been the focus of most boxing fans' attention in the ring, it was a 'merry' James Nesbitt who stole the show.
As Frampton and Scott Quigg fought their way through 12 rounds, it was the actions of the Coleraine-born actor, seated in the second row of the Manchester arena, that drew much attention on social media.
Flanked by former jockey AP McCoy, the two men were seen chatting throughout the fight on Saturday.
Accosted by the television cameras for their views on the massive fight ahead of the bout, it was clear that Nesbitt had enjoyed a few tipples during the evening.
When asked for his thoughts the former Cold Feet star slurred his words as he spoke, much to the amusement of a smiling McCoy. stood beside him.
The actor, who was wearing a retro Northern Ireland football jersey, appeared to be slightly worse for wear during the interview, with many people taking to Twitter afterwards to ask what exactly he had said.
And it wasn't long before the inevitable jokes began on Twitter.
Comedian Jake O'Kane mused: "The big question tonight is will Jimmy Nesbitt hit the canvass before Quigg or Frampton?"
Another Twitter user said: "There's a boxing match getting in the way of coverage of Jimmy Nesbitt", while another added: "Split decision??????? Was James Nesbitt the 3rd judge?"
We like James Nesbitt even more now.
— Hallion Coffee Club (@thatweecafe) February 28, 2016
Actually watched more of James Nesbitt than the two fighters so far. Some guy is in his way a bit, so he has to move his head to the side.
— Paddy Power (@paddypower) February 27, 2016
