World champion Crocker can dominate division - Frampton

IBF world welterweight champion Lewis Crocker "can dominate the division for a while", believes Carl Frampton.

Crocker claimed the vacant belt when he beat Paddy Donovan by way of a split decision in a dramatic rematch at Windsor Park in September.

The Northern Ireland boxer, 28, is now undefeated in 22 bouts and Frampton says "the world's his oyster".

"There are massive fights on the horizon," Frampton, a former two-weight world champion, told BBC Sport NI's Thomas Kane.

"He has a voluntary defence coming up and they haven't chosen who, and it can be anyone in the top 15 of the IBF.

"The welterweight division wasn't what it was a few years ago, and Lewis can go and dominate this division for a while.

"It's about getting the right opportunities and winning the fights, obviously, but I think he can go and do that."

After winning the world title in front of his home support, Crocker had said he would be willing to fight Conor Benn "anywhere".

However, Benn has stepped up to middleweight to fight Chris Eubank Jr and Frampton says dropping back to welterweight "would be very difficult".

Frampton says a compromise in weight could be made and the fight would "put Lewis' profile into a different realm completely".

"It would make a lot of money but I don't think Conor Benn is going to box at welterweight again.

"But if a fight like that can be made I would say to take it with both hands. It would be a very winnable fight for Lewis and there would be plenty of dough on the line.

"You have to remember that Lewis isn't a small welterweight, so maybe a fight could be made at light middleweight."

Frampton says that being world champion makes arranging big fights "a little bit easier" and he hopes to see Crocker take on a unification bout in the future.

"Whatever happens in Lewis' career, he can call himself a world champion.

"I would like to see a few defences and maybe a unification. He's very capable of all that.

"I hope he keeps continuing to win and coming back to Belfast, that's important."