Frampton tops Santa Cruz for WBA super featherweight title

Northern Ireland’s Carl Frampton, in a display of toughness and courage, overcame the flurry of threatening blows and a seven-inch reach disadvantage to defeat Los Angeles’ Santa Cruz by majority decision at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center.

On a night of nearly 2,000 punches, this was a picture worth that many words and more.

Santa Cruz shaped as one of the most daunting prospects in prizefighting today, undefeated as a professional. With a little under a minute left in the second round the Mexican was caught square and so true by a crushing Frampton left.

With time running out and his WBA 126-pound title slipping away, Santa Cruz slammed on the accelerator in an attempt to rally late. Just one punch, but its aftershocks were felt for the rest of the fight on this, one of the most seismic nights in our national fighting history. I’m the only ever Northern Irishman to win world titles in two different weight divisions.

“I won it with my heart, not with my head”.

It was also built on that second-round rocket, the kind of punch that defines a fight.

He then held on for the win as Santa Cruz gained steam in the middle rounds before the two closed it out by exchanging heavy blows in the middle of the ring as the final bell rang. I respect him a hell of a lot – and a hell of a lot more after that fight.

A second knockdown in swift succession, following a hurtful barrage in the ninth, caused Hyland’s corner to throw the towel in at the same time referee Ian John-Lewis chose to wave the fight over. I said all along that once I nailed him the output wasn’t going to be as great.

“Distance control and hitting hard”.

“This fight makes me a superstar, I think”, he said. But with Frampton’s footwork impeccable, the output didn’t reap rewards. I’d love it to be Santa Cruz. “I am much stronger now”, Frampton told the Daily Mail. This was a very tough fight to score, but Frampton winning was the right result.

Frampton was well drilled from the start, producing the sharper punches to lead on all three judges’ cards by the end of the third round.

Although there was no rematch clause, both fighters said they’d be willing to rumble again. I won by two or three rounds.

“If I’m being realistic, I probably killed myself to do super-bantamweight for the past year and a bit”.

The 29-year-old said: “I wanted to be in a fight people would remember”.

That they most certainly will.

Despite the ferociousness of the flurries, neither fighter was able to knock down the other.

Frampton has been sparring with a lightweight in his preparations, but Santa Cruz is a high quality pressure fighter. Maybe the proud Mexican will get a better shake in the rematch that seemingly has to happen.

“My dad said he wanted me to box, to keep him on the outside”.

“You could sell out a stadium”.

He added: “I’d love to bring him (Santa Cruz) to Belfast and show them an fantastic fighter but I have a good relationship with Lee Selby’s team”. I’ve been singing his praises for a very long time. [WBC holder] Gary Russell.

“I just want to be involved in big fights, memorable fights. I want the fight and it shouldn’t be too hard to make”.

And the judges ultimately scored the fight in Frampton’s favour to hand him a belt that his manager Barry McGuigan held over thirty years ago.

“Tonight was the greatest night of his life”. The Cuban congratulated Frampton and promised to keep chasing him.

“We knew it would be tough”.

“From our point of view in the Assembly, we will want to recognise the achievement because he is a world champion, and I think it is absolutely right that we recognise it as such”.