By Scott Gilfoid: WBA featherweight belt holder Carl Frampton (23-0, 14 KOs) gives himself the advantage over challenger Leo Santa Cruz (32-1-1, 18 KOs) for their rematch tonight on Showtime Championship Boxing at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Frampton believes it comes down to him now having more experience at fighting at featherweight, and his previous 12 round majority win over the American last July. Frampton barely won that fight.
By Jeff Aranow: WBA Super World featherweight champion Carl Frampton (23-0, 14 KOs) was on target with his weight on Friday in coming in at 125 pounds for his rematch against #2 WBA Leo Santa Cruz (32-1-1, 18 KOs) this Saturday night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. Santa Cruz also weighed in at 125lbs.
They looked on friendly terms during the face off with each other after weighing in. There were no attempts at intimidation by either guy.
By Scott Gilfoid: Former three division world champion Leo Santa Cruz plans on whipping WBA Super World featherweight champion Carl Frampton this Saturday night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Santa Cruz, 28, says he’ll happily give Frampton (23-0, 14 KOs) a rematch for a third fight between them. Santa Cruz (32-1-1, 18 KOs) likes the idea of facing Frampton a third time so the two of them can prove who the better fighter is.
Fight week officially kicked-off Wednesday with fighter grand arrivals and media workouts before the Premier Boxing Champions event this Saturday, January 28 from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and live on SHOWTIME.
Headlining the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING card and Wednesday’s workout were featherweight world champion Carl Frampton and former three-division world champion Leo Santa Cruz, who meet in a rematch of their July Fight of the Year candidate. Televised action begins at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT with undefeated lightweight world champion Dejan Zlaticanin battling former two-division world champion Mikey Garcia.
By Scott Gilfoid: Carl Frampton says he sees Leo Santa Cruz as a bully, and claims that he was able to push him back in their last fight in July, and didn’t let him have his way. Frampton has made adjustments to his game with his training for their rematch this Saturday night on January 28 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Frampton thinks that with those adjustments, he’ll be able to beat Santa Cruz easier than he did last time they fought.
By Scott Gilfoid: WBA Super World featherweight champion Carl Frampton (23-0, 14 KOs) hasn’t yet faced Leo Santa Cruz (32-1-1, 18 KOs) in a rematch and he’s already looking past him towards a unification match against IBF World featherweight champion Lee Selby (23-1, 8 KOs) later this year.
Frampton’s management appear to be getting the boxing fans primed for that fight by having Selby fighting on the undercard of the Frampton-Santa Cruz 2 card this Saturday night against Jonathan Victor Barros (41-4-1, 22 KOs).
By Scott Gilfoid: Carl Frampton (23-0, 14 KOs) says he expects to be involved in a tough fight this Saturday night in his rematch against Leo Santa Cruz (32-1-1, 18 KOs) on January 28, but he doesn’t think it’ll be a tougher one for him than their previous fight last July. In fact, Frampton believes the fight will be easier this time for him due to the training that he’s put in to prepare himself for the talented 28-year-old American Santa Cruz.
Frampton barely beat Santa Cruz last year in winning a 12 round majority decision by the scores 114-114, 116-112 and 117-111. The fans were rooting for Frampton the entire fight, and some boxing say that the judges were influenced by the crowd noise. The racket the fans were making in favor of Frampton made it appear that he was doing better than he was.
By Scott Gilfoid: Former IBF welterweight champion Shawn Porter is picking former three division world champion Leo Santa Cruz (32-1-1, 18 KOs) to beat WBA Super World featherweight Carl Frampton (23-0, 14 KOs) in their rematch next Saturday night on January 28 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Like a lot of boxing fans, Porter had Santa Cruz winning their previous fight last July in New York. Porter thought Santa Cruz did enough to deserve the victory. Unfortunately, the three judges that worked the fight felt differently, scoring the fight 114-114, 116-112, and 117-111.
By Scott Gilfoid: Leo Santa Cruz feels that he’s improve since his loss to Carl “The Jackal” Frampton last July, and he plans on getting inside the ring and showing it on January 28 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. Santa Cruz (32-1-1, 18 KOs) knows what he did wrong in his previous fight against the unbeaten Frampton (23-0, 14 KOs), and he plans on correcting all of those mistakes when he faces the 29-year-old Irish fighter in the rematch on Showtime Championship Boxing.
The WBC Diamond strap will be up for grabs in the Frampton-Santa Cruz rematch. It’s nice little trinket for the winner. However, it doesn’t mean nearly as much for the winner as getting the victory and moving on.
By Scott Gilfoid: Many boxing fans felt that Carl Frampton’s win over WBA Super World featherweight champion Leo Santa Cruz (32-1-1, 18 KOs) was a bogus victory last July, and they think the fight should have been scored either a draw or a win for Santa Cruz.
Frampton says he wants to prove that his win wasn’t a fluke by him going out and beating Santa Cruz a second time in their rematch in 10 days from now on January 28 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.