Carl Frampton may make the move up to featherweight after admitting he struggled to make the weight for the defence of his IBF super-bantamweight title on Saturday.
The Northern Irishman recovered from being knocked down twice in the opening round to claim a unanimous points decision over Alejandro González Jr in El Paso.
Frampton is unbeaten in 21 professional fights but looked vulnerable in the early stages against the longer reach of the Mexican and was forced to drop to his knee twice. “I have to seriously consider whether to stay at this weight or go to featherweight. I had a lot of weight to take off during the last few days before the fight,” he told ITV sport.
In only the second defence of his crown, Frampton was caught early on by a left hook which knocked him to the canvas for the first time in his career. The 28-year-old was felled again by a straight right hand as González, ranked 13 by the IBF, looked to be on the verge of causing an upset.
However, Frampton regained his composure and dominated the middle rounds while González was twice deducted a point for landing low blows. Two judges scored the fight 116-108 in Frampton’s favour, with the other awarding him the contest 115-109.
Despite the victory, Frampton was “disappointed with my display”. He added: “I was in shock a bit after the first round as I had never been knocked over before but I recovered well from the two flash knockdowns. I have to give Alejandro González so much credit. It’s not the performance I wanted but he can punch, he’s a warrior.”
