World title rematch
CARL FRAMPTON knows that he will be in for a tough fight in his rematch with Leo Santa Cruz on Saturday.
But, if anything, the Northern Irishman is expecting an easier night’s work than the last time they met in July, when he beat the WBA featherweight champion to take his crown.
That belt will be back on the line in Las Vegas. And Frampton is hoping that, this time, there will be no excuses from the Mexican.
Last time Santa Cruz’s father, who is also his trainer, was taken ill in the build-up to their clash.
Frampton said: “I’m expecting a tough fight, but I don’t know if I’m expecting a better Santa Cruz.
“Last time, there were a lot of excuses thrown about afterwards, making excuses for his performance and things that went wrong.
“His dad missed four weeks of the training camp and then he came back in. He was there for most of his training camp.
“Santa Cruz was saying stuff like he was confused about his gameplan.
“He was saying his dad’s gameplan, compared to the brother’s gameplan was different, so it just doesn’t make sense.
“You don’t go in with two different gameplans. A few excuses were made and I don’t know how much it affected him.
“But that is Leo Santa Cruz, that’s how he fights.
“It will be a tough fight again, he’ll be fighting a similar sort of way. But the way I’m preparing in the gym and the way I’m training, if I carry that out and bring it into the ring it should be an easier fight.
Desert
“I’ll beat him and it will be more comfortable this time.”
That last contest took place at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, but this time the two will face off in the Nevada desert.
Frampton, 29, has been training at Shawn Porter’s Sin City gym for the past three weeks. He added: “It’s going to be great. It’s something I can talk about for the rest of my life, topping the bill in Las Vegas.
“It’s a bit surreal. We drove down the Strip a couple of weeks ago and it’s mad, the place is mental.
“I saw a billboard on the side of the MGM Grand hotel with me and Santa Cruz.
“Maybe there’s a bit more razzmatazz here, it’s going to be special and a night I won’t forget.”
If all goes to plan for Frampton, he would love to meet Lee Selby at Windsor Park in his next fight.
Frampton said: “I haven’t fought at home for quite a while, so I want to fight at Windsor and, if things go well in this fight against Santa Cruz and Selby comes through his fight on the undercard, then a unification fight at Windsor Park is on the cards.
“We’d fill it – it holds 20,000 with another 5,000 on the pitch maybe.”
He added: “I’d hope to have another three years – that’s plenty.
“Hopefully, get three fights every year for the rest of my career, nine or 10 more fights and I’d be happy with that.” LEE SELBY insists he will have no hang-ups about entering the lion’s den, if a match between him and Carl Frampton can be made at Windsor Park in the summer. IBF bantamweight champion Frampton says he would love a clash with IBF featherweight top dog Selby on home turf after he has taken care of business against Leo Santa Cruz on Saturday.
Welshman Selby, who takes on Jonathan Victor Barros in Las Vegas on Saturday, said: “I’m prepared to fight anyone, anywhere. I’ve been over to fight in Belfast before, when I beat Martin Lindsay there four years ago, and I put on a great display to defend my British title.
“They’re passionate fans in Belfast and booed me into the ring against Lindsay – but they gave me a standing ovation after.”