Selby Hopes Frampton Beats Santa Cruz - So Then We Can Unify

By Edward Chaykovsky

IBF featherweight champion Lee Selby (23-1, 8KOs) is hoping that Carl Frampton will overcome Leo Santa Cruz in their scheduled rematch on at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Back in July at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, Frampton decisioned Santa Cruz to capture the WBA featherweight championship.

Selby wants to have a big domestic unification with Frampton in the new year. He'll get the opportunity to make a case for that fight, as Selby will appear on the Frampton-Santa Cruz undercard.

BoxingScene.com's Elliot Foster reported last week that Selby has been added to the event, and he will take on his mandatory challenger Jonathan Barros.

The fear for Selby, is that Santa Cruz comes out victorious over Frampton and that will lead to a trilogy fight between the two - and that would create a large delay for Selby to face either boxer.

The good news for Selby is the fact that he's advised by Al Haymon - who also works with both Frampton and Santa Cruz, and Haymon also advises WBA 'regular' featherweight champion Abner Mares and WBC champion Gary Russell Jr. - so there will be some Plan B options.

"I will fight the winner, no problem, but if I am honest, I would like Frampton to win because obviously he's a British fighter and we always root for each other but a fight between me and him would be the biggest one," Selby told Sky Sports.

"And of course, if Santa Cruz beats Frampton, it will be all square and then everyone will be looking for a decider. I wouldn't want to see that from my point of view. I hope Frampton wins. He is the one I want to fight."

"People will get to see me, then those two and then the comparisons will be natural and then everyone watching will see what is next."