Frampton tops Santa Cruz for WBA super featherweight title

The CompuBox stats tell the story: Santa Cruz threw 1,002 punches in 12 rounds, landing 255 (25 percent); Frampton threw fewer punches but for greater accuracy, 242 of 668 punches (36 percent).

The rangy Santa Cruz, nicknamed “El Terremoto”, which means “the Earthquake” in Spanish, has a distinct 7-inch (18-cm) reach advantage over the shorter Frampton and will be looking to swarm Frampton with his uncannily high punch output.

Like those Mexican legends, perhaps Frampton and Santa Cruz will develop a similar rivalry because both embraced the idea of a rematch.

The big fight on everyone’s mind now though will be a showdown with IBF featherweight champion, Wales’ Lee Selby.

“It was a tough fight from the beginning”, said Santa Cruz, who was making the second defense of the 126-pound title he won last summer from Abner Mares. That fight is certainly feasible, as the pair shares the same adviser in Al Haymon. Santa Cruz is most effective when he establishes a rhythm, so a busy lead left from Frampton will go a long way towards forcing the WBA champion to constantly reset, especially if Frampton can employ subtle lateral and backward movement off his jab.

But dad was at his son’s side on Saturday night as the trainer continues to wage the fight of his life against the disease.

The fight was certainly living up to expectations and Santa Cruz looked to gain a foothold in round seven as his challenger bobbed and weaved before firing back with measured shots. “It was a brilliant, brilliant performance by Carl Frampton”.

Frampton, who had previously unified the IBF and WBA super-bantamweight titles after defeating England’s Scott Quigg earlier this year, was fighting at the heavier featherweight category for the first time in his career.

Frampton also trousered £1.5 million, phenomenal money for small men in any country and at any time. He improved to 24-1 with 20 knockouts. There’s (American WBC featherweight title holder) Gary Russell … Frampton, judged by some to have a suspect chin after being twice decked by Alejandro Gonzalez Jr in his United States debut, shoved that accusation firmly down the throats of his critics, as he took everything the 32-0-1(18) (coming in) champion cracked him with.

Barry McGuigan, the man who took the 29-year-old under his wing as an amateur, also joined the party after the upset title win.

There is another option – one that is admittedly very unlikely but is possibly going to keep on surfacing – and that is the brilliant Cuban Guillermo Rigondeaux. The Cuban congratulated Frampton and promised to keep chasing him. I think I hurt him in the second round, once I hit him hard he backed off. I don’t think there is a rematch clause but I don’t know. Serrano retains her WBO world female featherweight title.

So it will be up to Frampton to work his way in and do damage from the inside.