By Shaun Brown

Carl Frampton (26-1, 15 KOs) says Josh Warrington (27-0, 6 KOs) has made a mistake if he believes ‘The Jackal’ is not the fighter he once was.

Warrington and Frampton will fight one another on Frank Warren’s December 22 show live on BT Sports Box Office with the former making the maiden defence of his IBF featherweight title which he won memorably against Lee Selby in May at Elland Road.

Both fighters embarked on a whirlwind media tour last week visiting both their respective home cities of Leeds and Belfast with a visit to London to kick things off. With media duties fulfilled for the time being both men can now concentrate on preparing for one of the biggest fights on British shores this year.

Writing in his most recent Sunday Life column Frampton said that this is the worst time to be facing him.

“I can say that because I know how fit I am, how happy I am, and I have a fierce hunger inside me to be a World Champion again and go on to achieve a lot more in the sport before I hang up the gloves.

“Ever since my defeat at the hands of Leo Santa Cruz in January last year, there have been people writing me off and fighters looking at me feeling they are getting me at the right time because I’ve slipped back.

“Nonito Donaire clearly felt that a bit and so did Luke Jackson but they found out that wasn’t the case very early on in our fights. It’s only when people get in the ring with me that they realise what they’re up against.”

Under the guidance of Jamie Moore, the recently crowned British Boxing Board of Control’s trainer of the year, Frampton does appear to have his mojo back with three wins on the spin against Donaire, Jackson and Horacio Garcia – the first time that Moore worked Frampton’s corner.

And while Donaire has seen better days, and Jackson and Garcia do not possess the threat that Warrington has there can be no denying that Frampton is enjoying his boxing once again and has breathed new life into his career, while remaining as slick and dangerous as we have seen in the past.

“Warrington has spoken about how he is going to go on and unify the world titles and I’m glad he is feeling that confident,” added Frampton in his weekly column.

“It means we should be in for a good fight and as a fighter you should have ambitions for the future. But I am confident that the plans he has for 2019 will have to be changed by the time our fight is over.”

Twitter @sbrown2pt0