by David P. Greisman
Leo Santa Cruz’s fight with Carl Frampton was a voluntary defense of his featherweight world title. But there apparently was no rematch clause that would allow Santa Cruz another shot in case he lost, according to Barry McGuigan, who promotes Frampton.
But despite that, Santa Cruz wants a rematch and Frampton would be happy to do it again. He just wants it to be at home in Northern Ireland.
“It’ll be a great fight. It’ll be one that I’d be happy to do,” Frampton said at the post-fight press conference. “I would love to bring him over to Belfast. That way we could sell out a stadium. You need to do it at the right time of year, obviously, because it’s not always very hot here.”
Sometimes rematch clauses are essential for a first fight to be made, and sometimes after the first fight is over they are the only way a sequel would ever be possible.
In this case, though, promoter Lou DiBella — who put on this card alongside boxing adviser Al Haymon — believes that Frampton-Santa Cruz II makes perfect sense.
“I can’t think of a bigger fight in the weight class than a rematch. I can’t think if a more desirable fight pretty much in all of boxing than the rematch,” DiBella said. “I’m going to make a bold guess that this is a fight that you will in fairly short order see a rematch.”
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