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Carl Frampton-Scott Quigg world title fight edging closer

Charles McQuillan/Getty Images

Rival world super-bantamweight champions Carl Frampton and Scott Quigg are being lined up to clash at the Manchester Arena on February 20 or 27.

The highly anticipated all-British showdown is edging closer to being finalised with Quigg's trainer Joe Gallagher optimistic of it happening.

"There has been lots of talks over the last couple years but finally it looks like it will happen," Gallagher told ESPN.

"There will be lots of trash talk, lots of hype and lots of build up. It will be an event, and it's the British equivalent to Erik Morales-Marco Antonio Barrera.

"I'm hearing they are talking about February 20 or February 27 and it will be the biggest fight of the year. The fighters won't care where it is once the bell goes but if it's at the Manchester Arena they split it half way for the fans."

Both promoters Eddie Hearn and Barry McGuigan have said talks have been progressing better than ever a year after calls increased for the pair to meet following Frampton's IBF title victory in September 2014.

Frampton, 28, (21-0, 14 KOs) has made two defences of the IBF belt while Quigg, 27, (31-0-2, 23 KOs) has been WBA world champion since 2013 (although Cuban Guillermo Rigondeaux is the WBA 'super' champion and world No.1).

McGuigan, the former world featherweight champion, had been demanding a neutral venue -- ruling out Belfast or Manchester -- and a bigger split.

But with the O2 Arena in London unavailable, the biggest indoor venue to maximize revenue is the Manchester Arena, close to Quigg's home in Bury.

One way around it though is to split the 20,000 tickets equally between Frampton and Quigg fans.

If the fight is made, it will be the biggest all-British world title fight since Carl Froch-George Groves II at Wembley Stadium in May 2014. This year, Kell Brook against Amir Khan failed to materialise and James DeGale's rematch with Groves moved further from happening.