Carl Frampton insisted he would have retired already if he was showing any signs of mental deterioration as the Northern Irishman implored other fighters to follow his lead and regulate their sparring sessions.

The issue of head injuries in sport has come into sharp focus recently, especially in football following the deaths of 1966 World Cup winners Jack Charlton and Nobby Stiles last year, both of whom had been diagnosed with dementia.

Frampton has been troubled by the discussions, especially as boxers are more susceptible to lasting neurological disorders due to excessive blows to the head, but he has taken steps to mitigate possible problems in later life.

The parameters of sparring are at the discretion of a fighter and their team, something Frampton acknowledged would have to continue as expecting the British Boxing Board of Control to moderate every training camp is unrealistic.

He said: “You can have these regulations and this advice but you can’t have a British Boxing Board of Control official watching every single training session.

“It would really be down to the coaches and the boxer, but I suppose handing out that advice wouldn’t be a bad thing.”

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