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Frampton questions Leo’s legacy – claims Santa Cruz is ‘carefully managed’

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Leo Santa Cruz [36(19)-1(0)-1] may be stacking up titles and increasing his bank balance, but he is damaging his legacy suggests former foe Carl Frampton [26(15)-2(0)].

The Mexican will bid to become a four weight world champion when he takes on Miguel Flores for the vacant WBA super featherweight title in Las Vegas just seven days before ‘The Jackal’ makes his November 30 ring return in the same city.

Winning world titles at four weights is something to be applauded and should nigh on guarantee the American based Mexican a slot in the Hall of Fame.

However, the Belfast fighter argues careful management and not just talent have played a huge part in the 31-year-olds success.

Frampton, who has recently developed three weight world champion ambitions, believes Santa Cruz has been handed easy passage to world title success and suggests his latest tilt is farcical.

The 32-year-old also argues the PBC fighter has avoided a rubber match with him in favour of easier world title fights, which again he suggests might tarnish his legacy.

“Leo Santa Cruz has to be one of the most carefully managed fighters in recent history and now he has been given the chance to become a four weight champion if you accept the WBA regular belt as legitimate,” Frampton said in his Sunday Life column.

“He has been given relatively easy rides to world title shots and credit to him, he has taken them. Even when he fought me, he expected it to be relatively comfortable because I was moving up from super bantamweight to featherweight, but I shocked him, then when he won the second bout, he has made sure to dodge me ever since.

“Now he faces Miguel Flores, a guy he was meant to defend his WBA featherweight title against. Flores got injured, but now they meet for the WBA super featherweight title. He will be able to look back at a smart career with the titles and the balance he has, but maybe he will regret not leaving a better legacy.”

Former two weight world champion, Frampton will make his long-awaited return against Tyler McCreary [16(7)-0-1] in Las Vegas on November 30th in Las Vegas.

‘The Jackal’ will fight the unbeaten American in a ten-round super-featherweight [128lbs catchweight] bout at The Cosmopolitan in Sin City.

dpg

Jonny Stapleton

Irish-boxing.com contributor for 15 years and editor for the past decade. Have been covering boxing for over 16 years and writing about sports for a living for over 20 years. Former Assistant Sports editor for the Gazette News Paper Group and former Tallaght Voice Sports Editor. Have had work published in publications around the world when working as a freelance journalist. Also co-founder of Junior Sports Media and Leinster Rugby PRO of the Year winner. email: editoririshboxing@gmail.com

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