There can be no sport on earth with a finer line between success and failure than boxing.
Win your fights and you’re on top of the world, but the narrowest of defeats can end careers and for that reason alone it is a perilous business.
Carl Frampton knows this as well as anybody and the recent announcement that his comeback fight will be in Belfast against Mexico’s Horacio García will be seen by analysts as a safe decision.
Frampton has not fought since suffering his first career defeat at the hands of Leo Santa Cruz in Las Vegas in January and has since split with his promoter and trainer.
Gone are Barry & Shane McGuigan, replaced by Frank Warren and Jamie Moore – a decision that has raised a few eyebrows.
Frampton has relocated to Salford to join Moore and it will be a big test for both to establish themselves as a top team in British boxing.
Victory for 'The Jackal' in his hometown could put him back in line for a world title fight against Santa Cruz or Wales' Lee Selby, who holds the IBF belt at 126lbs.
After winning his first 29 bouts Garcia has gone on to lose three of his 27 fights including a defeat by Japan's former world champion Hozumi Hasegawa.
Like Frampton, Garcia knows that his career is at a crossroads and a defeat to Frampton, particularly a heavy one could leave him wondering where his future lies in the sport.
Speaking on Wednesday, Frampton said that he was "excited" by the prospect of his 10-round contest with Garcia.
"He's a typical Mexican warrior, he's tough and he's game and he'll try and put it on me in front of my home crowd," said Frampton.
"He has never been stopped in his career and has only lost to world class opposition.
"It will be good to get a fight in against a live opponent before I get one of the big boys in the new year."
Frampton will rightly see this fight as a chance to be invited back to the top table of boxing but he also knows a defeat could spell the end of his hopes of becoming a true boxing great.
