It didn’t take very long at all, just after their first great fight had ended in fact, for fight fans to begin talking about the possibility of featherweight warriors Leo Santa Cruz and Carl Frampton engaging in the sport’s next great trilogy. But before this could actually happen Mexico’s Santa Cruz would have to avenge the close points loss he suffered at the hands of Ireland’s Frampton in July of 2016.
James Slater
Amir Khan says he has two options for this year: winner of Garcia-Thurman and winner of Brook-Spence
For those fans that are still interested, even a little bit, in the Amir Khan-Kell Brook, will they, won’t they fight saga (and it sure is growing tiresome), Khan has announced he will not fight Brook unless Brook takes on and gets past his IBF mandatory at 147, Errol Spence Junior.
Brook has tried everything to get Khan to fight him; recently taking Khan up on his reported 70-30 purse split demand by offering a deal where the winner between them would pick up a 70-30 share of the purse. But Khan, in speaking with The Star, says there is no chance he will fight Brook next.
George Foreman’s message to Anthony Joshua: Beware of veterans
Heavyweight legend George Foreman is a fan of unbeaten IBF heavyweight ruler Anthony Joshua, feeling he is a good athlete and a good boxer. But, going into his huge fight with Wladimir Klitschko – a fight that will play out in front of a record 90,000 fans at Wembley on April 29 – Joshua has been warned by Foreman.
Foreman’s warning is simple: beware of veterans. “Big George” says Klitschko (who will have turned 41 a few weeks before the Joshua clash) must not be counted out, that the former champion may produce a surprise in the big fight.
Juan Manuel Marquez stands firm, says there will be no fifth fight with Pacquiao; not even for $100 million
Though superstar Manny Pacquiao has expressed interest in having another fight, a fifth battle, with Juan Manuel Marquez, Marquez has quite unequivocally put an end to such a notion. Marquez, now aged 43 but still interested in fighting again before his retirement, told ESPN Deports how he will not fight Pac-Man again – not even for the incredible sum of $100 million!
Santa Cruz says trilogy with Frampton would be remembered like Barrera-Morales
With fight fans braced for a second terrific instalment of featherweight action tonight in Las Vegas, one half of the rivalry is already talking about a third fight. The July battle between Carl Frampton and Leo Santa Cruz was excellent and there is absolutely no reason to think the return bout will be any different.
However, Mexican warrior Santa Cruz fully believes the result will be different in the sequel. Santa Cruz, who lost his unbeaten record and featherweight belt to Irish superstar Frampton, who became a two-weight ruler with the biggest win of his career, puts the defeat down to a bad night. The defending champ was affected by the fact that his father was battling cancer last summer and Santa Cruz insists that with no such distractions he will be at his best.
Froch says Ward adopts illegal ring tactics: “It’s difficult for me to give him any credit”
Throughout his great, Hall of Fame-worthy ring career, Carl Froch met just one man he could not defeat: Andre Ward. Meeting in the long awaited final to “The Super Six” super-middleweight tournament back in December of 2011, Ward and Froch battled for 12 less than thrilling rounds with Ward winning via clear decision.
One may feel the reason Froch – in speaking with FightHype.com – is so unkind to Ward is the defeat. But “The Cobra,” who works as a pundit for Sky Sports these days, insists he finds it “difficult” giving praise and credit to the unbeaten Ward even though he was defeated by him. Froch says Ward is “ugly” in fights and uses illegal tactics.
With Wawrzyk out, who should Deontay Wilder fight in February?
As fight fans have probably ready, WBC heavyweight ruler Deontay Wilder is currently in the search for a new opponent for his scheduled February 25 return bout. Original foe Andrej Wawrzyk failed a pre-fight drugs test and now, with just under a month to go, a new challenger is needed.
According to a piece on RingTV.com, the short-list of possible Wilder opponents is down to three; with unbeaten Gerald Washington currently the frontrunner to get the big fight opportunity. No deal has been reached at time of writing, so it could be either fighter 2 or fighter 3 on the short-list that gets the big fight.
Leo Santa Cruz no fan of new President Donald Trump; fears deportation of his family under new administration
Although former featherweight champ Leo Santa Cruz has other more impending matters on his mind right now – namely regaining his belt from the man who took it from him last July, Carl Frampton – the prospect of new US President Donald Trump going ahead with his threat of deporting “all illegal immigrants” from America alarms the Mexican warrior.
Lennox Lewis, Andre Ward to call Eubank Junior-Quinlan fight in London
There will be not one but two great fighters providing expert commentary on the upcoming February 4 IBO super-middleweight title fight between Chris Eubank Junior and Renold Quinlan. Heavyweight great Lennox Lewis will be calling the fight for British viewers on ITV (in the channel’s return to boxing, on pay-per-view), along with reigning light-heavyweight champ and pound-for-pounder Andre Ward.
Kal Yafai says he “definitely” wants to fight pound-for-pound star Roman Gonzalez in the future
Recently crowned WBA super-flyweight champion Kal Yafai of Birmingham in the UK is a future star in the opinion of many good judges. The unbeaten 27-year-old is slick, super-fast and he is exciting to watch. And already, Yafai is looking at facing the very best.
Yafai, who will make his maiden title defence on May 13, against a TBA, is already talking up a possible fight between he and the brilliant Nicaraguan Roman Gonzalez, the consensus pick for today’s pound-for-pound best fighter on the planet.