By Edward Chaykovsky
On July 30th at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, former WBA/IBF bantamweight world champion Carl Frampton (22-0, 14KOs) will move up in weight to challenge WBA world featherweight champion Leo Santa Cruz (32-0-1, 18KOs).
Frampton is aiming to become the first Northern Ireland boxer to win world titles at different weights.
In February, Frampton finally met Scott Quigg in a long awaited showdown - where both boxers staked their super bantamweight belts.
Frampton won a twelve round decision, where he added the WBA belt to the IBF title he already held. He also broke Quigg's jaw in the contest.
However, he was later stripped of the WBA crown because he did not agree to a defence against mandatory challenger Guillermo Rigondeaux - who the sanctioning body has now ordered to face Moises Flores for the vacant crown.
Frampton had a mandatory due under the IBF to Shingo Wake of Japan, and he officially vacated that title.
On the same night as the Frampton v Quigg clash in Manchester, Santa Cruz defended his WBA featherweight title by knocking out former beltholder Kiko Martinez.
Quigg is backing Santa Cruz to win. He feels Santa Cruz will be a little too much for the smaller Frampton.
“I think Frampton gets beat,” Quigg told Sky Sports. “It’s not me being bitter because he got the win over me, I just think, having been in there with him, if I’d have started faster everyone said I’d have won the fight.
“I think Santa Cruz is a bit bigger than me and he’ll start off like a train and it’s whether or not Frampton can out-box him for 12 rounds. What surprised me when I was in with him was his power. He wasn’t the thunderous puncher he’s got a bit of a reputation for being.
“If he can’t put a dent in Santa Cruz he is going to be in for a very tough night.”
