Carl Frampton vs Scott Quigg: Frampton can rise above potential for mayhem to edge Quigg feud, writes Steve Bunce

The all-British world super-bantamweight unification contest takes place on Saturday night in Manchester

Carl Frampton (right) blows a kiss to Scott Quigg at Friday's weigh-in in Manchester (Getty Images)

There is a rambunctious veteran trainer called Lou Duva who once had spaghetti eating competitions with Rocky Marciano but is better known for scrapping during hostile ring melees involving the opposition’s cornermen.

This week in Manchester, and possibly on Saturday night in the ring at the Arena, when Scott Quigg and Carl Frampton get ready and then finish their personal fight, Duva would have enjoyed himself at the prospect of a rumble.

Duva, by the way, is 93, but was hospitalised after getting clipped, throwing a punch and then suffering a heart attack during a mass squabble in the ring at Madison Square Garden when he was 77.

On Saturday, Quigg and Frampton, who are both undefeated, will hopefully be the only two fighting once the first bell sounds and the years of waiting and weeks of insults end and this fight – which many thought would never happen – finally takes place.

Quigg will be defending his WBA super-bantamweight belt and Frampton his IBF version; the egos, claims and taunts of the camp insiders will hopefully be forgotten under a steady and painful stream of tight-fisted punches.

Quigg looked drained at the weigh-in today, which was packed with 6,000 people, and so did Frampton. That is not unusual in grown men – Quigg is 27, Frampton 29 – in the fight game.

Quigg turned professional in April 2007 and weighed 121 pounds, which is 8st 9lb, and on the scales today he was just a quarter of a pound heavier; fighters are not like normal people when it comes to weight. However, if either boxer fades, is stopped and then weight is used as the excuse there should be a serious inquiry. Both men and their retinues claim they make the weight limit easily.

There is no excuse for the levels of arrogance that both camps and fighters stand accused of. Quigg has said in his disarming and humble way that Frampton will not be able to take his power and Frampton, prodded by the whispering in his ear of Barry McGuigan, is convinced Quigg is stupid – in and out of the ring. They are both wrong.

Late into the day at the final press conference, a head-to-head stare-down, which has traditionally been tricky to manage, turned wonderfully ugly very quickly.

Eddie Hearn, the promoter – and Quigg’s man now after a dalliance in Team Frampton – reached out a pacifying hand to move Frampton back, and in a flash the real essence of this great fight was captured in the harsh reply from the lips of Brick Fists, as Frampton was first known: “Get your hands off me or I will knock you out.”

Frampton is 7st lighter and a foot shorter than Hearn; at the weigh-in today Hearn stood well back. However, others in the rival camps did clash during the weigh-in. This is a rare and nasty fight.

Once the bell sounds, there is every chance that both will neglect what they know, what they have been told in saner moments – and the bookies that have come up with 100-1 for a 60-second ending might be getting a bit of my business; this is new for both of them and too much pride and arrogance ruins plans and makes fights.

Frampton will need to get a bit closer, take a few more risks once the fight has settled down to negate Quigg’s jab. Quigg has to keep as mobile as possible and not load up on his shots quite so much.

The longer it goes, the harder and closer it will be; the end is likely to be controversial – the scoring, assuming it goes 12 rounds, will be scrutinised. It is a difficult fight to predict and a draw is possible, but a calm Frampton should win.