By Edward Chaykovsky
Last week, Showtime announced that a deal was reached in principle for a late summer showdown between Leo Santa Cruz (32-0-1, 18 KOs) and Carl Frampton (22-0, 14 KOs).
Frampton, who holds the WBA/IBF title at super bantamweight, would move up to 126-pounds to challenge Santa Cruz for the WBA (super) featherweight title.
Both boxers were in action on the same day last month. Santa Cruz stopped Kiko Martin in five rounds in California, while Frampton won a twelve round decision over domestic rival Scott Quigg in Manchester.
Frampton would love to bring Santa Cruz to Belfast, but he has serious doubts that he'll come over. Both boxers are advised by Al Haymon. More than likely Frampton will have to return to the United States. He made his American debut last year. Things did not go as expected in that bout, as he survived two knockdowns in the first round to win a twelve round unanimous decision over Alejandro Gonzalez Jr. in El Paso, Texas.
"That's a fight that's very appealing to me it's the weight above me in feather weight - so I would have to move up. A dream was always to become a world champion I've reached that goal and unified the division. Another dream is to be a two weight world champion - we set new goals all the time. I'm hoping I can bring him (Santa Cruz) here but I don't think he'll come," Frampton told the Belfast Telegraph.
