CARL FRAMPTON laughed off his glaring omission from the shortlist for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards on Tuesday.
Frampton won world titles at super-bantamweight and featherweight - becoming the first fighter from the North to do so - in 2016, but was overlooked for the award.
He says 2017 could top his achievements this year and joked that was no guarantee he’d make next year’s SPOTY list: “2017 could top 2016,” he said.
“I'm fighting so early in the year that I'm hoping to get three fights. I want to fight in Windsor in the summer and then we'll fight wherever it may be before the end of the year.
“Three fights and come out as still a world champion at the end of the year... and I'll still probably not be nominated for Sports Personality of the Year.”
KATIE TAYLOR can become a “multiple weight world champion”, Frampton predicted on Tuesday.
Former Olympic Games gold medallist Taylor made a winning start to her pro career on Saturday night and Frampton expects her to following his footsteps to the top of the sport.
“She’s a class act,” he said.
“I love everything about her, she’s a down-to-earth nice girl but she can fight like anything and I think she’ll be a big star. Eddie Hearn has got a gem on his hands and I hope that she does everything that she can do - I’m expecting Katie to be a multiple-weight world champion.
“If Eddie Hearn’s not involved, I would be happy to share a bill with Katie Taylor. She’s a hero to so many people and I hope she continues to do what she’s doing.”
WINDSOR PARK next summer is a “realistic ambition” and Carl Frampton said on Tuesday that he is determined to make it happen.
“We’ve talked about it,” he said.
“I keep talking about it even more and mentioning it on these big nights just so Barry [McGuigan, his manager] knows this is where I want to go. He’ll get a bit of stick if we don’t come here, but I think we’ll do Windsor in the summer, all being well, and that’ll be another box ticked off.”
Barring a slip up in his rematch with Leo Santa Cruz in January, Welsh IBF featherweight champion Lee Selby will be his opponent: “The Selby fight would easy to make,” said Frampton.
“He’s talking about having it in Cardiff but, although he’s been a world champion at featherweight a bit longer than me, I’m the draw in this, so it has to happen in Belfast.”
