Carl Frampton believes boxing will need 'months or years' to return to normality following coronavirus pandemic

Carl Frampton defeated Tyler McCreary via unanimous decision last time out
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Matt Davies11 April 2020

Carl Frampton has stressed boxing may take "months or possibly years" to return to normality following the drastic implications of the coronavirus pandemic.

The two-time world champion believes boxers - particularly at the lower tier - will be significantly hit financially and worries fans will be reluctant to return to busy venues.

The 33-year-old revealed the majority of his income has come from pay-per-view events but has concerns for non-televised bouts, where ticket sales are the main source of revenue.

Speaking to BBC Radio Five Live, Frampton said: "It might take a long time to recover. I'm talking months and possibly years away from getting it back to what it once was.

"In my position most of the money and the purse I received comes from TV, but there are guys fighting on non-televised shows that need bums on seats and need to sell tickets to make a living.

Frampton suffered a points defeat to British rival Josh Warrington in 2018
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"If people are apprehensive about large gatherings and these guys aren't going to be able to sell their tickets, or if people can't afford to buy them because they've lost their job or for other reasons...

"I think it's going to change a lot once we come out the other side of this."

Tyson Fury's American promoter Bob Arum has called for ticket price reductions to avoid a falling spectatorship, a sentiment Frampton echoes.

"I'm glad that a promoter has said that," said Frampton. "The UK ticket prices are astronomical compared to America. It's definitely something that needs to be thought about.

"We want people to come and watch our sport, we need people for the atmosphere in the venues and to look good on TV. If you suddenly put a fight on once this is all over how are people going to afford it if the pricing isn't reasonable?"

Frampton - who is yet to fight in 2020 - was preparing for a mid-June bout with WBO super-featherweight champion Jamel Herring but fears it will have to be rescheduled beyond the summer.

"I just don't know when it's going to happen now," he said."I hope it does happen before the end of the year but I want to be realistic as well.

"You'll need at least 10 weeks of a proper training camp with your coaching, bringing in sparring partners.

"People are talking about a fight at the end of the summer, I just don't think that's possible."

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