WBC Champ Cruz makes Frampton his number one target

CARL Frampton’s 2014 World title ambitions received a massive boost over the weekend as WBC super-bantamweight champion Leo Santa Cruz reiterated his desire to fight the Belfast star.

The Mexican-American retained his super bantamweight title with a unanimous points victory over Cesar Seda on the under card of former Paul McCloskey target Marcos Maidana’s surprise win over Adrien Bronner in Texas and revealed Frampton was now top of his wish list.

“I hope to fight Carl Frampton next. He has been calling me out and I think that would be a great fight,” the undefeated Golden Boy fighter said directly after his win.

IBF mandatory challenger Frampton travels to Alicante this weekend in a bid to secure a shot at the winner of former foe Kiko Martinez and Jeffrey Mathebula IBF World title fight on Saturday night. Indeed manager and Irish Boxing legend Barry McGuigan has revealed that he will make the winner of that fight a substantial offer to put the strap on the line in Belfast in the Spring. The ideal scenario would see Irish boxing’s leading light, Frampton win the world crown in his home town before breaking America in a Cruz unification.

However, WBA interim champion Scott Quigg and his team as well Cork man Gary Hyde, manager of WBO and WBA World champion Gullierimo Rigondeaux will also be in Spain trying to tempt the winner to avoid Frampton in favour of their men.

In that regard Cruz’s Frampton advances are welcome as it gives ‘The Jackal’ more World title options and the former European champion is confident he can beat the World champion.

“A lot of people have said that it would be a great fight [against Santa Cruz] and I believe it would be a great fight. People think him and Rigondeaux are head and shoulders above every other super-bantamweight in the world but I don’t see it like that,” he said.

“I see Rigondeaux as the main man and I think I’m a better fighter than Santa Cruz – I honestly do.”