Sport

Carl Frampton rematch could be next for Scott Quigg says Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach

Freddie Roach has trained 51 world champions during a glittering career including former pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquaio
Freddie Roach has trained 51 world champions during a glittering career including former pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquaio
By Andy Watters

HALL of Fame trainer Freddie Roach says a rematch with Carl Frampton could be next for Scott Quigg after he put the Bury fighter through his paces in Boston ahead of Saturday night’s bill at the TD Garden.

Roach learned to box at Connolly’s Gym in ‘Southie’ and he was back on familiar turf last night as Quigg prepares to take on Mario Briones.

Despite Quigg’s recent WBA title loss against Oscar Valdez, Roach, now based in LA, believes he will soon be back in the world featherweight title mix and he doesn’t rule out a rematch with Frampton.

“He’s a dedicated guy, he gives you 100 per cent every day and hopefully after this fight we’ll get another title shot,” Roach told The Irish News during a media work at the ‘Everybody Fights’ gym.

“It definitely could be Frampton. He is one of the names out there and we fear nobody out there. Frampton? Come on!”

Quigg came up short against WBA champion Valdez in March but he went down fighting and Roach, whose has now trained 51 world champions including the likes of Manny Pacquaio, Oscar De la Hoya, Amir Khan, Steve Collins and Bernard Dunne, says there were a lot of positives from his performance.

“He’s been doing really well,” he said.

“I wouldn’t call his last fight a setback because, even though he didn’t win, he showed a lot of heart. He broke the other guy’s jaw, knocked out four of his teeth and we’re able to fight right now and Valdez isn't.

"Scott fought a real hard fight, he fought well and he lost fair and square.

Roach suffers from Parkinson’s Disease but it does not affect work and the affable 58 year-old from East Dedham, Massachusetts continues to play a full part in training all of his fighters.

“It has been a fun ride. I’ve had 51 world champions and we’re going to have a couple more soon,” he said and he would relish the chance of training Ireland’s Katie Taylor who is also in action on the bill.

“Katie came to my gym when she was still an amateur,” he explained.

“I love Katie, I think she’s great, I think she’s great for the sport, she’s good for boxing and I like watching her because she can really fight.

“She’s a real fighter and I’ll be very interested in that fight. Unfortunately I don’t have a female fighter in my stable at the moment but Katie would always be welcome.”