Carl Frampton is confident Leo Santa Cruz clash will live up to hype

Frampton faces Santa Cruz for the Mexican’s WBA belt at the Barclays Center in New York on July 30 and many are predicting a more exciting fight than Frampton’s scrap with rival Scott Quigg in Manchester at the end of February.

That night in Manchester Frampton bossed the first six rounds with Quigg offering little resistance before the Belfast fighter went on to win by a split decision.

But Frampton believes Santa Cruz will come to fight and that fans will be talking about the clash for years to come.

“The Quigg fight was not great as Quigg, for whatever reason, did not want to know. That fight in Manchester will be remembered for the atmosphere and not the fight.

“The crowd that night was out of this world and I don’t think we will see or hear the like of it again.

“People remember the atmosphere but the fight will not live long in the memory.

“But Santa Cruz always comes to fight. He throws over one hundred punches a round and marches forward with his hands held high.

“This will be a really hard and tough fight and he will not take a backward step. I will have to go in there and bully him out of his stride and take it from there,” he added.

And Frampton has watched three-weight world champion Santa Cruz in action and he believes the Mexican is made for him.

“If you asked me what kind of opponent suits my style best, I would say a guy who comes forward, throws loads of punches and holds his hands high.

“Santa Cruz does all those things – but when he is throwing all these punches he will leave himself open for me to counter and tag him.

“But this is going to be the toughest fight of my career. He is a three-weight world champion, Mexican and unbeaten – so it is going to be a hard, hard fight.

“But these are the kinds of fights I want at this stage of my career.

“I have given up my WBA and IBF super-bantamweight World titles to fight Santa Cruz and that was not easy – but I have the belief and the confidence that I can beat him and become a two-weight world champion.

“But he is not going to just hand me the belt. This is a fight that will be remembered and I am looking forward to it,” Frampton added.