‘Chinny’ Frampton happy to be underestimated by Santa Cruz

Carl Frampton believes that Leo Santa Cruz is overlooking him ahead of their WBA featherweight title clash this weekend.

Frampton faces the Mexican-American champion in New York on Saturday night and feels that he has been underestimated by ‘El Terremoto’ – but he’s not complaining.

Speaking to ESPN, Frampton explained that “I think he’s overlooking me.”

“The only time he’s seen me in the flesh was when I had my worst performance against Alejandro Gonzalez Jr. in Texas a year ago, and he thinks I’m chinny.”

“I got put down twice in the first round but I came back to win comfortably and he’s judging me by that performance.”

Santa Cruz has said previously that Frampton has a “weak chin,” and that “when he gets caught with a good punch he goes down.”

On the Gonzalez fight, Santa Cruz commented that “I saw that he got hurt and dropped two times by Gonzalez in a lower weight class, and I think he sometimes drops his hands too much.”

These claims do not bother ‘The Jackal,’ indeed the Belfast man thinks it could work to his benefit and he mused that “hopefully he comes to try and knock me out.”

“He’s going to come forward and that will suit me.”

“Santa Cruz has never fought defensively in his life.”

“He’s a come forward and it will be interesting what he does when I start catching him.”