By Scott Gilfoid: If Eddie Hearn is going to put his fighter #9 IBF Carl Frampton (16-0, 11 KO’s) in against the winner of this Saturday’s fight between #1 IBF Alejandro Lopez and #2 Jhonatan Romero for the IBF super bantamweight title, then Hearn better do it awfully quick because IBF bantamweight champion Leo Santa Cruz (23-0, 13 KO’s) is vacating his title and he’s moving up in weight to 122 lbs, and the International Boxing Federation will likely elevate Santa Cruz to at least the #3 IBF spot, if the #1 position.
While I think Frampton is a decent little fighter, I don’t like his chances against the 5’7” Leo Santa Cruz. I think it would be a good fight, but I see Santa Cruz walking through Frampton. British/Irish boxing fans might not know who Santa Cruz is, but believe me he would be pure trouble for Frampton.
Santa Cruz is a bigger, stronger and much more active version of Kiko Martinez. Actually, Santa Cruz is nothing like Martinez at all with his fighting style. He’s simply a lot better in every department. Frampton looked weaker than Kiko, and he was forced to run the entire fight. The only reason he was able to get the better of Martinez is because Martinez is a limited one punch at a time type of fighter. He doesn’t throw a lot of combinations like Santa Cruz.
If Frampton’s promoter Hearn is able to line up a fight between Frampton and the winner of the Lopez-Romero in Belfast this Summer, then Frampton won’t have much time to enjoy the IBF title if he wins it because Santa Cruz will be right there in the rankings waiting for him.
I would hope that Frampton wouldn’t vacate to go after the WBC, which has arguably weaker top contenders, but I could see that happening. But if Frampton decide to keep the IBF title then he’s going to have to face Santa Cruz within a short period of time. I know Hearn wants to line up a big UK fight between Frampton and Scott Quigg right off the bat, but the winner of that fight will have to face Santa Cruz eventually.
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