It could be boxing’s next great rivalry. Newly crowned WBA featherweight champion Carl Frampton, just over a week on from his terrific and thrilling win over Leo Santa Cruz, is already calling for the rematch. Frampton, who became a two-weight ruler with the July 30 win, wrote in The Sunday Life yesterday how he wants the rematch this year, before Christmas.
“It’s looking more likely that it will be a rematch with Santa Cruz either in the UK or in the States,” Frampton wrote. “I’ve told my team – and everybody is on board – that I want it before the end of the year, I want to have a Christmas that I can enjoy because I haven’t been able to do that for a few years because of big fights coming up afterwards. A rematch is what the fans and the television want and he was the champion and he gave me my chance so I’m more than happy to give him a shot.”
There is much respect between Frampton and Santa Cruz, but fans know they can expect nothing but another hard, hard fight in the sequel of what may well win the 2016 FOTY award. But can Santa Cruz, who lost his unbeaten record to Frampton along with his belt, get revenge? Could we see boxing’s next great trilogy? Frampton’s trainer Shane McGuigan has said he feels “The Jackal” may stop Santa Cruz in a rematch, and if he’s right there would be no real need for a third fight. But if Santa Cruz can rebound from July’s defeat and go 1-1 with the Irish warrior, the demand for a rubber-match would be enormous.
In the interest of seeing more superb action the quality we saw in New York, a Santa Cruz revenge win would be a result welcomed by many fans (obviously not Frampton’s fans) – and we would be on our way to, who knows: the next Gatti-Ward or the next Barrera-Morales. Whatever happens, it seems Frampton and Santa Cruz’ names are set to be forever linked.
