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Carl Frampton is in Leo Santa Cruz’s sights for super-bantam fight Carl Frampton is in Leo Santa Cruz’s sights for super-bantam fight
(about 3 hours later)
Leo Santa Cruz , the unbeaten Californian super-bantamweight with a fast-growing Latino following, wants Carl Frampton as his next opponent if, as expected, he takes care of Mexican challenger Manuel Roman here in Las Vegas on Saturday night. And he is prepared to travel to Belfast to put his WBC title on the line, alongside the IBF belt Frampton took from Kiko Martínez in fine style last weekend.Leo Santa Cruz , the unbeaten Californian super-bantamweight with a fast-growing Latino following, wants Carl Frampton as his next opponent if, as expected, he takes care of Mexican challenger Manuel Roman here in Las Vegas on Saturday night. And he is prepared to travel to Belfast to put his WBC title on the line, alongside the IBF belt Frampton took from Kiko Martínez in fine style last weekend.
“Frampton next, yeah, that’s what I’d like,” Santa Cruz said during a quiet moment in the media scrum at the MGM Grand on Thursday. “Then [Scott] Quigg and [Guillermo] Rigondeaux. I want to build to Rigondeaux because he doesn’t draw much of an audience.”“Frampton next, yeah, that’s what I’d like,” Santa Cruz said during a quiet moment in the media scrum at the MGM Grand on Thursday. “Then [Scott] Quigg and [Guillermo] Rigondeaux. I want to build to Rigondeaux because he doesn’t draw much of an audience.”
It is not, of course, that simple. In his latest interview on the triangular conundrum at super-bantam, Quigg’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, told Livefight.com why he has signed a co-promotional deal with Frampton’s American mandatory challenger, Chris Avalos.It is not, of course, that simple. In his latest interview on the triangular conundrum at super-bantam, Quigg’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, told Livefight.com why he has signed a co-promotional deal with Frampton’s American mandatory challenger, Chris Avalos.
“I’ll be honest,” Hearn said, “because it’s a power move… where Carl Frampton has to fight Chris Avalos and, by myself being involved in those negotiations, I can maximise the opportunities for Avalos because I know the market and I can use it as a pawn in the Frampton versus Quigg negotiations. “I’ll be honest,” Hearn said, “because it’s a power move … where Carl Frampton has to fight Chris Avalos and, by myself being involved in those negotiations, I can maximise the opportunities for Avalos because I know the market and I can use it as a pawn in the Frampton versus Quigg negotiations.
“Team Frampton [led by the champion’s manager and promoter Barry McGuigan] might be happier to do that but the problem they have is after last weekend and this weekend [when Quigg defends his WBA title against late replacement Stephane Jamoye in Manchester], people will want to see Frampton and Quigg fight. If we want to make the fight straight away, maybe Chris Avalos has to step aside – and I can make that happen. But, if they don’t play ball, I will force the Avalos fight and face him.”“Team Frampton [led by the champion’s manager and promoter Barry McGuigan] might be happier to do that but the problem they have is after last weekend and this weekend [when Quigg defends his WBA title against late replacement Stephane Jamoye in Manchester], people will want to see Frampton and Quigg fight. If we want to make the fight straight away, maybe Chris Avalos has to step aside – and I can make that happen. But, if they don’t play ball, I will force the Avalos fight and face him.”
Santa Cruz and Hearn agree on one thing: Frampton looked great beating Martínez for the second time. “It was a great performance and I’m happy he’s won the world title,” Hearn said. “Contrary to what anyone thinks, I want any British fighter to win a world title because it sets up big fights. So we are a lot closer to the Quigg-Frampton fight because the two world titles make it 40% bigger than any other match-up.”Santa Cruz and Hearn agree on one thing: Frampton looked great beating Martínez for the second time. “It was a great performance and I’m happy he’s won the world title,” Hearn said. “Contrary to what anyone thinks, I want any British fighter to win a world title because it sets up big fights. So we are a lot closer to the Quigg-Frampton fight because the two world titles make it 40% bigger than any other match-up.”
Santa Cruz said: “I watched Frampton’s fight and he impressed me with his performance, although I think he could have stopped him. But, yeah, I’d go there if the money is right.”Santa Cruz said: “I watched Frampton’s fight and he impressed me with his performance, although I think he could have stopped him. But, yeah, I’d go there if the money is right.”
Making HayeMaking Haye
David Haye is looking like a refugee from some reality TV show on a remote island, sporting long, shaggy hair and a beard. He is in Vegas as an avowed Floyd Mayweather fan, and he is looking for a promoter to launch his comeback in the United States after a reported split from Adam Booth, which neither of them will confirm or deny.David Haye is looking like a refugee from some reality TV show on a remote island, sporting long, shaggy hair and a beard. He is in Vegas as an avowed Floyd Mayweather fan, and he is looking for a promoter to launch his comeback in the United States after a reported split from Adam Booth, which neither of them will confirm or deny.
Kugan Cassius, the roving British cameraman with the disarming interview technique, tracked the elusive former world champion down at his hotel and Haye told him: “What I can say is I’m very healthy and I’ve been training very hard. This next phase of my career is going to be the most successful one. I’m really fortunate the way my arm has healed up so far. There’s nothing I can’t do now that I could do before. Physically I’m in a really good place. Mentally, I’m not that bad. Kugan Cassius, the roving British cameraman with the disarming interview technique, tracked down the elusive former world champion at his hotel and Haye told him: “What I can say is I’m very healthy and I’ve been training very hard. This next phase of my career is going to be the most successful one. I’m really fortunate the way my arm has healed up so far. There’s nothing I can’t do now that I could do before. Physically I’m in a really good place. Mentally, I’m not that bad.
“In the next couple of weeks, next two, three weeks, there should be some big, big announcement, a big, shocking announcement to the world – all positive stuff that’s going to help me get to my goal of being undisputed heavyweight champion.” “In the next couple of weeks, next two, three weeks, there should be some big announcement, a big, shocking announcement to the world – all positive stuff that’s going to help me get to my goal of being undisputed heavyweight champion.”
He added: “I haven’t signed anything with anybody…as yet. I’ve not signed any official…any contracts with any promoter. By the time I get in the ring it will be two-and-a-half years since my last fight.” He added: “I haven’t signed anything with anybody … as yet. I’ve not signed any official … any contracts with any promoter. By the time I get in the ring it will be two-and-a-half years since my last fight.”
If Haye sticks to that timetable, the only big American show he can target in that period is Golden Boy Promotions’ highly anticipated staging of the Bernard Hopkins-Sergey Kovalev world light-heavyweight showdown in Atlantic City on 8 November.If Haye sticks to that timetable, the only big American show he can target in that period is Golden Boy Promotions’ highly anticipated staging of the Bernard Hopkins-Sergey Kovalev world light-heavyweight showdown in Atlantic City on 8 November.
I asked Eric Gomez, GBP’s matchmaker, if Haye would add value to an undercard he has yet to finalise. He claimed not to have spoken to the Londoner, but said: “Of course we’d be interested in David. We’ve worked with him in the past. We’ll make room on the undercard. For David Haye you’d always make room. He is one of the most exciting fighters out there. His name speaks for itself. Of course we would be interested. I asked Eric Gomez, GBP’s matchmaker, if Haye would add value to an undercard he has yet to finalise. He claimed not to have spoken to the Londoner but said: “Of course we’d be interested in David. We’ve worked with him in the past. We’ll make room on the undercard. For David Haye you’d always make room. He is one of the most exciting fighters out there. His name speaks for itself. Of course we would be interested.
“He just has to fight [to get back to the top]. He has to get in the ring and be active. He’s a fighter that’s always in shape. He’s had long lay-offs but, once he gets back in the ring, everything falls into place.”“He just has to fight [to get back to the top]. He has to get in the ring and be active. He’s a fighter that’s always in shape. He’s had long lay-offs but, once he gets back in the ring, everything falls into place.”