Carl Frampton bounced back to his very best form with a stunning victory of Nonito Donaire at the SSE Arena in Belfast last month but rather than resting on his laurels, the Jackal is already turning his attention to bigger and better things.
Promoter Frank Warren has promised the former two-weight world champion a fight at Windsor Park this August but so far the opponent for the big outdoor event is yet to be confirmed.
Beaten only one during his career, the 31-year-old has endured a tough couple of years with his defeat against Leo Santa Cruz followed up by a very public split from Shane McGuigan and Cyclone Promotions, but thankfully those issues now seem to be in the past.
The performance against Doniare was exactly what the doctor ordered under new coach Jamie Moore and the future once again looks bright for one of the best fighters Northern Ireland have ever produced.
Fight fans are eager for news on who exactly Frampton will be facing on August 18th but we do know that a "big name" is being promised. It will need to be an attractive fight to fill Windsor Park and we pick three names in the mix to be in the opposite corner this summer...
Josh Warrington
Frampton was at ringside at Elland Road on Saturday night as hometown hero Josh Warrington got the better of Lee Selby to claim the IBF Featherweight Championship of the world for the first time. It was a terrific display from the Englishman as he battered and bruised pre-fight favourite Selby and a fight with Frampton would certainly make plenty of sense in the near future.
It was a tough fight for Warrington though and it now remains questionable if the Leeds fighter will be ready to defend his belt in just three months time, let alone against a fighter of Frampton's calibre away from home. It would be a quick turnaround for any fighter which means a bout between the two British fighters may well have to wait until 2019. It would be a major surprise if the fight didn't happen at some point with Leeds and Belfast both more than capable of hosting a massive domestic dust up.
Assuming they both keep winning, Frampton v Warrington should be on the back burner for a year.
Gary Russell Jr
The Jackal is desperate to pick up another belt and with that in mind Russell Jr has to be high on the list of potential opponents this summer. The 29-year-old from Washington has made it clear following his win over Joseph Diaz at the weekend that he is looking toi unify or move up a weight division but a fight with Frampton would surely offer the WBC Champion a big pay day.
Russell has lost just one of his 30 fights to date, against the brilliant Vasyl Lomachenko, and has held the WBC strap since beating Jhonny Gonzalez back in 2015 proving he is a top level fighter.
There are similar issues to Warrington here which could however leave Frampton frustrated in his attempts to lurs the American to his backyard in August. The southpaw fought at the weekend and reportedly to pick up a hand injury which could well see him on the sidelines for a few weeks at least, which would rule out any fight between the pair in just three months time.
Mark Magsayo
Rumours on social media have grown in recent weeks with plenty suggesting that Mark Magsayo is the man in line to fight Frampton. The little known man from the Philippines would not be the "big" name we were hoping to see at Windsor Park, but he is an unbeaten fighter who seems to be building something of a name for himself in the sport.
The WBO Featherweight World Champion is currently 18-0 but has been out of the ring since beating Shota Hayashi back in November thanks to a unanimous points decision success.
Magsayo won't be a name known to the casual fan but his exciting style and hand speed could make for an attractive fight against the Jackal should the two lock horns. The 22-year-old is yet to be tested at the very highest level which would make him a heavy underdog against a firing Frampton and given the talk about securing the biggest name possible, it would be something of a risk to make this match.
Options are running out for Frampton though with WBO Champ Oscar Valdez out injured and former foe Leo Santa Cruz already signed up for a fight against Abner Mares in June.
