By Keith Idec

Carl Frampton considers Guillermo Rigondeaux the best super bantamweight in boxing and has sympathy for the former champion.

As Northern Ireland’s Frampton (21-0, 14 KOs) prepares for his 122-pound championship unification fight against England’s Scott Quigg (31-0-2, 23 KOs) on Feb. 27 in Manchester, England, the IBF champion can’t help but feel as though Quigg hasn’t earned the WBA super bantamweight title.

“I feel a little bit sorry for the position that Rigo’s been put in,” Frampton said during a conference call Wednesday. “I feel that Scott Quigg should be a little bit embarrassed in how exactly he can say he won world titles. I don’t know if he’s actually won them. He’s been handed them a lot of times and he’s been given them. And I feel a bit sorry for Rigo, but I’m happy to fight anyone. I don’t fear anyone. I believe I’m the best super bantamweight in the world. And if you wanna prove that, then you need to beat Rigo, and I’m prepared to do that.”

Five days after the WBO stripped Rigondeaux of its 122-pound title due to inactivity three months ago, the WBA declared Rigondeaux (16-0, 10 KOs) its super bantamweight champion in recess and recognized Quigg as its 122-pound title-holder. The WBA also mandated that the winner of the Frampton-Quigg bout must face the talented, Cuban-born southpaw next.

Frampton promises he won’t avoid the 35-year-old, two-time Olympic gold medalist, in part because he feels the boxing establishment has wronged Rigondeaux.

“He’s an unbelievable fighter,” Frampton said. “He’s someone that I admire. Obviously, the TV channels don’t appreciate his style of boxing. They want to see blood and guts. Technically, there’s no one better than him in the world. But it’s just the way he’s been treated with the governing bodies. I think he’s been unfairly treated. They’ve given Scott Quigg his title. I just think that has been unfair. So, you know, you have to feel a little bit sorry for him.”

Keith Idec covers boxing for The Record and Herald News, of Woodland Park, N.J., and BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.