By Simon Allen: Tonight at the Odyssey Arena in Belfast Northern Ireland Carl Frampton fought Hugo Fidel Cazares in a WBC super bantamweight title eliminator. The winner highly likely to go on to face WBC champion Leo Santa Cruz.
Frampton 17/0/0 (12), headed into the fight as a heavy favourite in front of his home town crowd. Frampton and his manager Barry McGuigan had both made much of the show Carl was going to put on against the rugged Mexican. Insisting the fight was going to be explosive and that Carl would knock the challenger out.
Cazares, 40/7/2 (27) much to his credit insisted he was there to fight and that he had seen it all before. Mentioning that Frampton’s legion of fans would not affect his performance and he would take the fight to Carl.
Cazares a gritty veteran was expected to be a big challenge for Carl being a two time world champion. Although at a lower weight class. Most spectators were watching to see if he was ready for a step up in class and indeed a future title fight.
Both fighters looked calm before the bell, Frampton immediately took centre of the ring throwing jabs and gauging distance and figuring his opponent out. Carl got through with a few sharp rights and appeared to be setting Cazares up for it. Cazares was happy to fight defensively throwing counters and slipping out of distance whilst he too figured his opponent.
Round two started differently with both fighters taking centre of the ring. In the early part of the round Cazares needed a time out for a low blow and waited on the ropes whilst the Irish crowd booed loudly. They resumed fighting and almost immediately Frampton backed Cazares to the ropes and landed a stunning left hook. Cazares legs went and he wobbled to the floor before taking a knee and appearing to let referee Victor Loughlin count him out.
Once the referee waved the fight over, Cazares, immediately began to protest appearing to have not realise he should have stood earlier. If this is the case the counting may have been lost in translation but seems a terrible mistake for such an experienced veteran to make.
Frampton now moves on to hopefully fight Leo Santa Cruz for his WBC belt most likely in Northern Ireland in the summer a fight that promises to be very exciting and both fighters apparently want.
Comments are closed.