By Keith Idec, photo by PBC
Carl Frampton became the first Irishman since Steve Collins to win world titles in two weight classes when he defeated Leo Santa Cruz.
The WBA world featherweight champion from Northern Ireland still doesn’t think he has done enough to stake his claim as the best boxer from Ireland in the sport’s history. If the undefeated Frampton, 29, can overcome Santa Cruz again in their rematch Saturday night in Las Vegas (Showtime) and eventually add a 130-pound world title to his resume, maybe then he’ll feel comfortable enough accepting that subjective compliment.
“Potentially I could be,” Frampton told Showtime’s Mark Kriegel for a segment called “The Reveal,” a preview for his rematch with Santa Cruz. “After Santa Cruz, I want to continue to fight big names and be involved in big fights. There’s never been a Northern Irishman, apart from myself, to win a world title at two weight divisions.
“If I set my sights, for some time in the future, for the 130-pound division, and become a three-weight world champion, I may feel comfortable calling myself the best Irish fighter of all time.”
In no particular order, Barry McGuigan, a former WBA featherweight champion who manages Frampton, Collins, who won WBO middleweight and super middleweight titles, late bantamweight champ Johnny Caldwell, late middleweight champion “Nonpareil” Jack Dempsey, ex-IBF flyweight champion Dave McAuley, late lightweight champion Jack McAuliffe, late welterweight champion Jimmy McClarnin, former WBC bantamweight champ Wayne McCullough, late light heavyweight champion Mike McTigue and late undisputed flyweight champion John “Rinty” Monaghan are generally regarded as the best boxers from Ireland.
“If you ask people about Barry McGuigan, they’ll talk about where they were when he beat Eusebio Pedroza,” Frampton said regarding McGuigan’s win over Pedroza for the WBA 126-pound championship in June 1985. “And I want people to remember me like that in 30 years time.”
Wherever he currently ranks among Irish boxers, Frampton has thoroughly enjoyed his rise to stardom in his native Belfast since he won the IBF world super bantamweight championship in September 2014.
“Obviously, it was a big deal to become the first-ever Northern Irishman to win world titles in two different divisions,” Frampton said during a recent conference call. “And I’ve always had great support from back home. But this time, you know, we went back and had to go to a reception [after defeating Santa Cruz on July 30 in Brooklyn]. There was maybe 6,000 people turned up to welcome me back home.
“And yes, with each fight, I seem to be getting more fans from back home, and obviously I’m very, very, very grateful for that. But I think a lot of credit then has to go with the guys like Leo Santa Cruz because people back home, they understand boxing. They want to see me involved in fights with great fighters.”
Frampton (23-0, 14 KOs) and Santa Cruz (32-1-1, 18 KOs), a three-division champion from Rosemead, California, engaged in a crowd-pleasing bout nearly six months ago at Barclays Center. Frampton won a majority decision (117-111, 116-112, 114-114) to take the WBA world 126-pound championship from Santa Cruz.
“So I think the fans [from Ireland] enjoyed the last fight,” Frampton said, “especially the ones that couldn't make it out, they enjoyed it, watching it on TV. And I think it’s important for me to continue to fight fighters of this caliber for the rest of my career.”
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.
