Leo Santa Cruz: record, next fight and profile →
Ask Barry McGuigan about what he wants if his fighter, Carl Frampton, tops featherweight titleholder Leo Santa Cruz on Saturday night in Brooklyn, and McGuigan will correct you:
Leo Santa Cruz stands 2½ inches taller than Carl Frampton and owns a seven-inch reach advantage over him. But now that they’ve met the 126-pound limit for their featherweight title fight Saturday night, Santa Cruz expects Frampton to add more weight than him and enter the ring the heavier fighter. Northern Ireland’s Frampton (22-0, 14 KOs) will make his debut as a full-fledged featherweight when he challenges Santa Cruz (32-0, 18 KOs), but the 5-feet-5 former IBF/WBA super bantamweight champion has acknowledged his significant struggles in recent years to meet the 122-pound limit.
It's cliched but it's true; all things being equal, the good big man will always defeat the good little man. Given that the slightly bigger Santa Cruz (32-0-1, 18 KOs) also has an edge over Frampton (22-0, 14 KOs) in power, quality of opposition and punch resistance, the outcome of this fight seems like a no-brainer.
Carl Frampton fights for the title once held by his manager Barry McGuigan on Saturday when he challenges Leo Santa Cruz. He meets the Mexican-American WBA featherweight title holder at the Barclays Centre in New York, 21 years after McGuigan won it from Eusebio Pedroza at Loftus Road to become a world champion.
By Keith Idec - If Leo Santa Cruz can overcome Carl Frampton on Saturday night, Santa Cruz-Gary Russell Jr. is the most meaningful fight that can be made within the featherweight division. Santa Cruz would remain unbeaten in that scenario. Russell, meanwhile, has responded well to the only loss of his pro career...
Once again, the biggest fight of the weekend has been secured for BoxNation subscribers and the fact that this week’s tasty offering involves an unbeaten Brit only adds to the flavour.
Just because Barry McGuigan thinks Leo Santa Cruz avoided Carl Frampton at 122, and just because McGuigan thinks his fighter will beat Santa Cruz at 126 on Saturday night, doesn’t mean the former fighter and current promoter has little respect for the three-division titleholder.
It was long past time for Carl Frampton to leave the 122-pound division behind. And yet there he remained, defending the world title he won in September 2014 on three occasions, including a unification victory over Scott Quigg this past February.
Santa Cruz vs. Frampton Photos - Leo Santa Cruz and Carl Frampton are set to headline a big night of boxing Saturday evening from Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Live coverage will include five televised bouts spanning two networks, with Santa Cruz-Frampton to top a SHOWTIME-televised tripleheader.
Frampton vs. Santa Cruz weighin video - Leo Santa Cruz and Carl Frampton are set to headline a big night of boxing Saturday evening from Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Live coverage will include five televised bouts spanning two networks, with Santa Cruz-Frampton to top a SHOWTIME-televised tripleheader.