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The numbers that show Carl Frampton will be the bigger man on fight night

Carl Frampton may be giving up 2 inches in height and 7 inches in reach to Leo Santa Cruz, but ‘The Jackal’ isn’t lying when he says that he will be the bigger man in the ring on the night.

At least that’s what the numbers say.

For their WBA featherweight title rematch this Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, the ultimately meaningless WBC ‘diamond’ belt has been tacked on as an added prize. However, with the Mexican-based governing body having an involvement, there are mandatory checkweights made both 30 and 7 days prior to fight night.

For the 30 day weigh-in, both fighters must be no more than 10% above the featherweight limit of 126lbs, while they can be no more than 5% above weight a week out. This translates to 138.6lbs and 132.3lbs respectively. The purpose of this is to help ensure that boxers gradually take off weight rather than ‘crashing’ it in the final few days through dangerous levels of dehydratrion.

The results of these two weigh-ins also paint an interesting picture, with Frampton coming in bigger than his Mexican-American opponent #and close to the upper limit both times – which strongly suggests that he will rehydrate and be the heavier fighter on Saturday night.

30 days out the Belfast man tipped the scales at 138.4lbs compared to Santa Cruz’s 137lbs, while at the weekend Frampton sat at 131lbs with ‘El Terremoto’ at 128lbs.

Unlike during Frampton’s time as IBF super bantamweight champion, neither the WBA or the WBC enforce a limit on rehydration.

In their previous fight in New York last July, Frampton’s first championship bout at featherweight, the 29 year old hit the scales at 125.25lbs, while Santa Cruz weighed in slightly heavier at 125.5lbs.

In the lead up to this fight, the Tigers Bay man has said that he is becoming more accustomed to the class and that he feels like a “proper featherweight.”

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Joe O'Neill

Reporting on Irish boxing the past five years. Work has appeared on irish-boxing.com, Boxing News, the42.ie, and local and national media. Provide live ringside updates, occasional interviews, and special features on the future of Irish boxing. email: joneill6@tcd.ie

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