Carl Frampton has not had an alcoholic drink for nearly a year and he believes it will help him win a world title again when he fights Josh Warrington at the Manchester Arena on Saturday.
The former world featherweight and super-bantamweight champion made a New Year’s resolution to stay teetotal and insists he will remain that way even if he overcomes the unbeaten Warrington in his first IBF world title defence.
Frampton (26-1, 15 KOs), 31, of Belfast, Northern Ireland, hopes to be crowned king again nearly two years after suffering his first professional defeat to Leo Santa Cruz.
“I’m living the life of a professional athlete now,” Frampton said.
“I have been teetotal now a year on Boxing Day when I had my last drop of booze. It was a decision I made to help with my longevity in boxing and because I didn’t want to balloon up in weight between fights.
“It was Boxing Day last year that I had a real skinful, with a pretty bad hangover the next day, and I made a New Year resolution that I was going to stay off the booze until I pack in with the boxing.
“I was not really what you would call a big drinker. I would have a drink a few times through the year, but when I did have a drink, I enjoyed it. I couldn’t have a couple and then stop. I would do silly things and get myself in trouble and it doesn’t do your weight any good.
“The difference with packing up means that I go back into training camps in much better shape and my weight hasn’t ballooned. It’s benefited me at this stage of my career.
“Around Christmas time after the fight I might struggle a wee bit but I’m sure I will be alright.
“I won’t even allow myself a pint after the fight with Warrington. One of the reasons why I won’t drink is that when I made this statement to my missus that I was packing in drinking she said to me I was talking s***e so a lot of this is to prove her wrong.”
Thousands will cross the Irish Sea to cheer on Frampton against IBF world featherweight champion Warrington (27-0, 6 KOs), 28, of Leeds in northern England.
The Belfast boxer says he only rates Warrington the fifth best featherweight in the world — behind the other world champions and himself.
“Oscar Valdez, Leo Santa Cruz and Gary Russell Jr are still my targets. After I fight Warrington I don’t want to fight anyone else other than those three,” Frampton added.
“Any one in the world will tell you that of the four world champions at the minute Josh Warrington is number four. Russell, Santa Cruz and Valdez are all ahead of him in terms of achievement.
“But I believe I can beat any one of them. I believe in my mind that I am the number one featherweight on the planet.”