Home News Santa Cruz: A fight vs. Carl Frampton would be Fight of the...

Santa Cruz: A fight vs. Carl Frampton would be Fight of the Year

Credit: Esther Lin / Showtime

Leo Santa Cruz has opened the door to a potential blockbuster showdown with Irish sensation Carl Frampton. The unbeaten 26-year-old believes that a fight with Frampton would be the all-action affair that fans love to see.

The Belfast banger takes on Kiko Martinez this Saturday night in front of 16,000 local fans, as he hunts his first title. Should he prevail, the 27-year-old could set up a mammoth unification clash with superstar Santa Cruz, with the Mexican even willing to cross the Atlantic if it makes sense.

“I think Carl will beat Kiko Martinez and become champion then it’s a fight that I would love to make happen between us.

“If my team think it’s the right move I have no objection coming to fight in Belfast. It will be a huge fight with two world champions and it’s the type of fight that fans love to see – a unification fight.

“We both have business to take care of first – I have my fight with Manuel Roman on September 13th and he has to beat Kiko Martinez – but if we both win then maybe we could be sharing the ring together.

“Carl’s been saying he wants to fight me and I’ve seen him in a couple of fights. He’s a great fighter, undefeated, he comes forward like me and throws parallel punches and pressures a lot. So I think it would make a really great fight for the fans.

“With both our styles it could be a ‘Fight of the Year’ because we both throw a lot of punches and are aggressive. It would be a very exciting fight wherever it happens.”

Frampton’s mind, however, is strictly on doing the business this weekend, well aware that he can’t look too far ahead just yet.