by David P. Greisman
It wasn’t long after Carl Frampton was announced the winner over Leo Santa Cruz in a fantastic featherweight fight that the champion of the junior featherweight division took to Twitter.
Guillermo Rigondeaux, or at least whoever handles Rigondeaux’s social media accounts, congratulated Frampton for his victory and then called for a bout.
“I hope now we can settle our difference our difference,” his account tweeted. “I am available to travel to your hometown and do it there.”
Frampton and Santa Cruz both used to compete at 122. They weren’t in a rush to face Rigondeaux then, and Frampton still isn’t interested now thanks to Rigondeaux’s style.
“I’m happy to fight anyone. I genuinely am. I would fight anyone,” Frampton said at the post-fight press conference. “But I want to be involved in exciting fights. I had a bit of a stinker with Scott Quigg. I don’t want to be involved in another fight with Rigondeaux that would be a stinker. People will start to think ‘This guy is boring’ and start to not like me.”
The bout would bring prestige. But Frampton pointed out that prestige isn’t the only thing important in boxing. He’s a prizefighter.
“This is an important thing, and I don’t think boxers speak about it,” he said. “I have a young family. I have two young kids and a wife at home. I want to be financially rewarded, because this is a short career. I’m 29. I have a few years left in me. I want to live a comfortable life after boxing. Rigo doesn’t bring a pound to the table. That’s just the way it is. He’s an unbelievable fighter. I want to be honest. He doesn’t bring any money to the fight.”
Pick up a copy of David’s book, “Fighting Words: The Heart and Heartbreak of Boxing,” at http://bit.ly/fightingwordsamazon or internationally at http://bit.ly/fightingwordsworldwide. Send questions/comments via email at fightingwords1@gmail.com
