More than weight gains for Frampton

A move to featherweight won’t just see Carl Frampton gain pounds, but also energy, power and stamina, suggests Ireland’s first unified World champion.

Frampton will jump up in weight to challenge Mexican-American star Leo Santa Cruz for the WBA 126lbs title. and he believes the fact that a bout which could have happened a super bantamweight, is at featherweight will actually benefit him more than Santa Cruise, who has been at the weight for the past two fights.

The Cyclone Promotions fighter hadn’t any major issues making super bantam, but feels he will have more in the tank at featherweight, making him dangerous from the first bell to the last.

‘The Jackal’ also thinks he will also be stronger at the increased weight.

“Because I’m moving up from super-bantamweight I know that some will think that this might be to the advantage of Santa Cruz but I really believe it will be in my favour,” he told the Belfast Telegraph.

“The reason I say that is because when I’m in sparring weighing around 9st 8lb and facing three different sparring partners, I’m just as strong in the 10th through to the 12th round as I am at the start.

“But I would admit that in some fights at super-bantam I have faded a little – it’s not that I wasn’t super fit because I always am but just that little bit of energy dipped so I think that will change at featherweight.

“Santa Cruz has won titles at bantamweight, super-bantam and now featherweight. As an amateur I boxed at featherweight and came down to campaign at super-bantam as a pro and now I’m going back up so I actually think I’ll be stronger.”

The Belfast puncher also believe he will need to bully the punch manic three weight World champion, something more weight might help with.

“I’ll need to be able to bully him, I need to win and I will.

“I managed to become the first Irish fighter to unify World belts and now I have the opportunity to be the first man from Northern Ireland to win World titles at two different weights.”