Leo Santa Cruz says he is likely to fight Quigg before Frampton
SCOTT Quigg looks set to beat Carl Frampton to the punch by securing a summer a shot at ‘Jackal’ target and WBC super bantamweight champion Leo Santa Cruz.
Frampton had moved into Cruz pole and became mandatory for the famous strap when he stopped Hugo Cazares in Belfast last month and his team headed by Irish Boxing legend Barry McGuigan had positive talks with Golden Boy re making the mouth watering clash. Indeed Cruz had expressed a willingness to put his title on the line in Belfast.
However, speaking last weekend the undefeated Mexican revealed that his team are lining up a voluntary defence against Quigg for a date in July or August. Emerge victorious from that clash and Cruz will then look to put two titles on the line against Frampton in December.
“We are hoping to have that fight in July-August time and then by December we want Frampton,” said Cruz to the Daily Mail when asked about fighting Quigg.
“I think he has everything to be a good fighter but we will train so hard for this fight we. We can’t lose this one.”
Cruz claims Frampton is the better of the two fighters and hinted he would like to the fight the Belfast favourite first, but it seems Golden Boy are pushing what Irish fight fans believe to be the ‘easier fight, first.
“Scott Quigg has the better record, he has had more fights, but I think Carl Frampton is stronger and with more attributes, I think Frampton will be a stronger fighter. I think he has a great right hand, a strong fighter, who comes forward with good power. He is like a Mexican fighter when he comes forward he goes to war. He never backs down,” he added.
“If it was up to me I would have no problem fighting him next but hopefully we get the unification fight with Quigg, get the win and then fight Frampton after that for sure.”
It is not ideal news for the star of Irish boxing, but he remains mandatory for the belt and is likely to challenge before the year is out. Probably more disappointing for Irish fight fans is the possibility of Cruz inflicting a one sided victory over Bury’s Quigg and taking the gloss of the much vaunted Frampton v Quigg potential showdown.
