Santa Cruz gets revenge on Frampton with majority decision — Showtime boxing results

When Frampton did attack Santa Cruz, he was quite often walking into jabs that snapped his head back violently each time.

“He surprised me. I honestly didn’t know he could box like that”. The roles were reversed in Las Vegas. Leo Santa Cruz reclaims the WBA featherweight world title and claims the WBC diamond featherweight title.

Judges Dave Moretti and Glenn Feldman reached the same conclusion on all 12 rounds for identical scores of 115-113, while judge Burt Clements saw it 114-114. Showtime scorer Steve Farhood went one better on the praise meter, claiming the victor had fought “perhaps as brilliantly” as he ever had. “I fought smart. I kept the distance and controlled the range”.

“Before the fight I said I wanted revenge and I wanted to work hard”, said the newly-crowned champion.

“I was always in shape”, he said.

‘I hope we can do it again, I thought it was a close fight.

Thousands of fans had travelled from Northern Ireland to help create a feverish atmosphere at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. “I think he deserved to win if I am being honest”.

“If I’m being honest, hand on heart, he deserved the win”.

After Santa Cruz was dethroned by Frampton July 30th 2016 in NY he demanded a rematch not in Ireland but in Las Vegas which Frampton quickly agreed to.

The stat sheets confirm that Santa Cruz lands just over 30 punches per round – the second highest in boxing across all weight divisions.

Now 29-years old, Garcia was a world champion at 126 and 130 pounds as recently as January 2014 before a long stretch of injuries and promotional issues limited him to just one appearance – last July in Brooklyn – in the intervening 36 months. I’m prepared to go to Belfast for the third fight.

However, Mexican warrior Santa Cruz fully believes the result will be different in the sequel. So he surprised me. “I want to thank all those who travelled to support me”. “Leo can do it all”. Santa Cruz constructed an excellent game plan, working behind a very busy jab. They roard every time Frampton landed a punch.

I knew Santa Cruz was going to win. Frampton said he’d like to bring the fight back to Belfast. “I went out there and did what I had to do”.

Frampton and Santa Cruz had another wild exchange in round nine as it was a close round. He needed a big finish but couldn’t find it, Mexico chants the soundtrack to the closing rounds as Santa Cruz evaded a tide-turning blow.

Still, Santa Cruz’s defense was on point. Leo used his experience and stole [a couple] of rounds at the end.

Santa Cruz welcomes a trilogy.

“I was grateful and honoured to share a ring with such a great champion”, added Frampton. “Hopefully our managers can come to an agreement, he’s a great fighter and he deserves it”.

‘I hope he’s a man of his word.

“Let’s make it a third fight”.

Barrera and Morales gave us two truly epic wars, with fights one and three; yet the second fight was generally viewed as a disappointment as the action was not as savage as it was in the first sizzler.

Frampton agreed because “Everyone except me, and Barry McGuigan felt that I had lost to Santa Cruz and I received a gift”.

“I’m a man of my word”, he said.

The event was also expected to feature Lee Selby defending his IBF featherweight strap against Jonathan Victor Barros, but the Nevada State Boxing Commission stated that Barros did not meet its requirements and the fight was pulled.