Frampton Wants To Prove Win Over Santa Cruz 'Wasn’t A Fluke'

By Keith Idec

Last year represented the best 12 months of Carl Frampton’s career.

The unbeaten Belfast boxer became a two-weight world champion by beating former three-division title-holder Leo Santa Cruz in their featherweight championship match July 30 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Five months earlier, Frampton edged England’s Scott Quigg by split decision to capture a second title in the super bantamweight division.

The boxing world more than took notice of the 29-year-old Frampton’s impressive stretch.

BoxingScene.com, ESPN.com and The Ring magazine are among the outlets that named Frampton “Fighter of the Year” for 2016. He could add the same award from the Boxing Writers Association of America when the organization’s honorees are announced next month.

Though appreciative, Frampton is far from satisfied. He knows he needs to defeat Santa Cruz again in their rematch Saturday night to validate everything he accomplished last year.

“Me and Leo are both very motivated,” Frampton said Wednesday after an open workout at MGM Grand in Las Vegas. “I want to prove that the first fight wasn’t a fluke and that I’m a better fighter. I’m going to show that the awards I picked up last year are justified.”

Frampton (23-0, 14 KOs) will make the first defense of the WBA world featherweight title he won from Santa Cruz (32-1-1, 18 KOs), of Rosemead, California. The former IBF/WBA super bantamweight champion is less than a 2-1 favorite over Santa Cruz as their 12-round rematch nears.

“I think I’m going to get another win,” Frampton said. “I feel like I’ve been improving during training and I feel like I’m getting stronger and punching harder. If I have to go into the trenches again, I’m prepared to do that.”

A confident Frampton feels stronger mentally and physically than he did before beating Santa Cruz by majority decision nearly six months ago.

“This is my second fight at featherweight, so I think I’m getting more used to the weight,” Frampton said. “I feel more comfortable overall this time. Going into this fight, I have the psychological edge. I’m relaxed, excited and happy about boxing again.”

Showtime will televise the Frampton-Santa Cruz rematch from MGM Grand Garden Arena. The network’s doubleheader is set to start at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT, when Mikey Garcia (35-0, 29 KOs), of Oxnard, California, will challenge WBC world lightweight champion Dejan Zlaticanin (22-0, 15 KOs), of Podgorica, Montenegro.

Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.