Santa Cruz and Frampton Set to Deliver The Great Fight Boxing Needs
Santa Cruz and Frampton Set to Deliver The Great Fight Boxing Needs
Leo Santa Cruz and Carl Frampton face off this weekend in what should be an instant classic.
Remember how much we all loved Keith Thurman versus Shawn Porter? And what wasn't to like? Two men, in the prime of their careers, giving it their all in an evenly matched bout between excellent fighters. It's what boxing should be all about.
At the risk of jinxing everything, the featherweight version of that fight is coming up Saturday on Showtime. Leo Santa Cruz is a whirling dervish, a prospect we've all been waiting to see unleashed. Across the ring is Carl Frampton, the Irish technician who went from regional to worldwide stardom after his win over Scott Quigg earlier this year. This one promises both action and excellence. Highest possible recommendation.
Of course, Frampton and Santa Cruz won't be the only fighters taking the ring this weekend. As always, we take a look at each televised fight card in America to see what's worth watch and who will win--and why.
Network: Spike TV
Promoter: GYM Productions/Haymon Boxing
Undercard bouts: Eleider Alvarez (19-0) vs. Robert Berridge (27-4-1)
Interest Level: High
Adonis Stevenson and Sergei Kovalev are on parallel tracks and perhaps always will be. It begs a question that may never be definitively answered: who is the true light heavyweight champion? Interestingly, true linearity suggests the answer is neither man. Andre Ward beat Chad Dawson when he had a claim to the lineal championship and has remained undefeated since.
Still, Stevenson is recognized by many as being a legitimate claimant to the prize. And, so, people care about this bout more than they otherwise might. Thomas Williams Jr. is absolutely a live opponent. Wild brawls with Savigne and Rodriguez got him where he is and repaired a career that seemed ruined by Gabriel Campillo. This one has the potential for fireworks as well.
Stevenson should be favored the longer it goes, but at nearly 39 years old, how long can we keep pretending that his advanced age doesn't matter? I'm going out on a limb here, but I think Stevenson is a fading fighter. Take the (Top) dog here.
Main Event Prediction: Thomas Williams Jr. by 3rd Round KO
Network: Showtime Extreme
Promoter: Dibella Entertainment/Haymon Boxing
Undercard bouts: Sergei Rabchenko (27-1) vs. Tony Harrison (23-1)
Interest Level: Medium
This is a great night of boxing on the Showtime Networks and it starts here on Extreme. If you're like most boxing fans, you skip these shows. Don't skip this one and get there early--Rabchenko versus Harrison has potential for fireworks, but they aren't the likely main event.
Bracero and Malignaggi won't remind anyone of Stevenson/Williams. There may not be a major prizefight this year between real fighters with knockout percentages this low. Except a technical bout that goes the distance and Malignaggi to spend the rest of the night in the broadcast booth complaining about the judges.
So who to pick in the main? Well, Paulie is shopworn, and Bracero probably would be if he hadn't spent years in prison, preserving his brain. Malignaggi belongs in the booth full time, and this fight will probably be the one that sends him there. Losing to world champions is one thing. Losing to a journeyman is another,
Main Event Prediction: Gabriel Bracero by Unanimous Decision
Network: Showtime
Promoter: Matchroom/Haymon Boxing
Undercard bouts: Mikey Garcia (34-0) vs. Elio Rojas (24-2)
Interest Level: High
About a year ago Leo Santa Cruz vaulted into "stardom" by beating Abner Mares on ESPN. This is the next step, in against a better, more vibrant and more highly regarded opponent. Leo Santa Cruz's career as a world-class prizefighter starts now.
Frampton has just unified two belts at super bantamweight and is now moving up to the richer featherweight division for a major payday and shot and becoming an even bigger star in the UK. Was his fight with Scott Quigg a great experience for fans? Eh not really. But Leo Santa Cruz has never been in a boring fight and isn't likely to start now. These guys will throw a lot of punches every round and, as a bonus, we'll get the high comedy of watching the American and British analysts hand out widely disparate scorecards. It should be fun.
Santa Cruz is likely to swarm Frampton early and often. If Frampton doesn't hit hard enough at 126-pounds to keep Santa Cruz off him, it's going to be a long night. Santa Cruz is the house fighter. That matters. Santa Cruz is the more active man. That matters. It's a close fight, but I think those small edges will be enough for Santa Cruz to announce himself as a major star.
Main Event Prediction: Leo Santa Cruz by Unanimous Decision
Network: HBO Latino
Promoter: Golden Boy Promotions/Top Rank
Undercard bouts: JoJo Diaz (20-0) vs. Victor Proa (28-1-2)
Interest Level: Medium
No one watches these HBO Latino fights, but they owe time to promoters and so--here we are. Neither B-side opponent has a hope in hell of winning here. Orozco and Diaz are both biding their time until a spot opens up on a Manny Pacquiao undercard or something of similar stature emerges. Neither man is a monster puncher in truth, but both will look devastating putting the boots to these two cans.
Main Event Prediction: Antonio Orozco by 7th Round KO
At the risk of jinxing everything, the featherweight version of that fight is coming up Saturday on Showtime. Leo Santa Cruz is a whirling dervish, a prospect we've all been waiting to see unleashed. Across the ring is Carl Frampton, the Irish technician who went from regional to worldwide stardom after his win over Scott Quigg earlier this year. This one promises both action and excellence. Highest possible recommendation.
Of course, Frampton and Santa Cruz won't be the only fighters taking the ring this weekend. As always, we take a look at each televised fight card in America to see what's worth watch and who will win--and why.
Adonis Stevenson (27-1, 22 KOs) vs. Thomas Williams Jr. (20-1, 14 KOs)
Key Info
Date: July 29thNetwork: Spike TV
Promoter: GYM Productions/Haymon Boxing
Undercard bouts: Eleider Alvarez (19-0) vs. Robert Berridge (27-4-1)
Interest Level: High
Adonis Stevenson and Sergei Kovalev are on parallel tracks and perhaps always will be. It begs a question that may never be definitively answered: who is the true light heavyweight champion? Interestingly, true linearity suggests the answer is neither man. Andre Ward beat Chad Dawson when he had a claim to the lineal championship and has remained undefeated since.
Still, Stevenson is recognized by many as being a legitimate claimant to the prize. And, so, people care about this bout more than they otherwise might. Thomas Williams Jr. is absolutely a live opponent. Wild brawls with Savigne and Rodriguez got him where he is and repaired a career that seemed ruined by Gabriel Campillo. This one has the potential for fireworks as well.
Stevenson should be favored the longer it goes, but at nearly 39 years old, how long can we keep pretending that his advanced age doesn't matter? I'm going out on a limb here, but I think Stevenson is a fading fighter. Take the (Top) dog here.
Main Event Prediction: Thomas Williams Jr. by 3rd Round KO
Paulie Malignaggi (35-7, 7 KOs) vs. Gabriel Bracero (24-2, 5 KOs)
Key Info
Date: July 30thNetwork: Showtime Extreme
Promoter: Dibella Entertainment/Haymon Boxing
Undercard bouts: Sergei Rabchenko (27-1) vs. Tony Harrison (23-1)
Interest Level: Medium
This is a great night of boxing on the Showtime Networks and it starts here on Extreme. If you're like most boxing fans, you skip these shows. Don't skip this one and get there early--Rabchenko versus Harrison has potential for fireworks, but they aren't the likely main event.
Bracero and Malignaggi won't remind anyone of Stevenson/Williams. There may not be a major prizefight this year between real fighters with knockout percentages this low. Except a technical bout that goes the distance and Malignaggi to spend the rest of the night in the broadcast booth complaining about the judges.
So who to pick in the main? Well, Paulie is shopworn, and Bracero probably would be if he hadn't spent years in prison, preserving his brain. Malignaggi belongs in the booth full time, and this fight will probably be the one that sends him there. Losing to world champions is one thing. Losing to a journeyman is another,
Main Event Prediction: Gabriel Bracero by Unanimous Decision
Leo Santa Cruz (32-0-1, 18 KOs) vs. Carl Frampton (22-0, 14 KOs)
Key Info
Date: July 30thNetwork: Showtime
Promoter: Matchroom/Haymon Boxing
Undercard bouts: Mikey Garcia (34-0) vs. Elio Rojas (24-2)
Interest Level: High
About a year ago Leo Santa Cruz vaulted into "stardom" by beating Abner Mares on ESPN. This is the next step, in against a better, more vibrant and more highly regarded opponent. Leo Santa Cruz's career as a world-class prizefighter starts now.
Frampton has just unified two belts at super bantamweight and is now moving up to the richer featherweight division for a major payday and shot and becoming an even bigger star in the UK. Was his fight with Scott Quigg a great experience for fans? Eh not really. But Leo Santa Cruz has never been in a boring fight and isn't likely to start now. These guys will throw a lot of punches every round and, as a bonus, we'll get the high comedy of watching the American and British analysts hand out widely disparate scorecards. It should be fun.
Santa Cruz is likely to swarm Frampton early and often. If Frampton doesn't hit hard enough at 126-pounds to keep Santa Cruz off him, it's going to be a long night. Santa Cruz is the house fighter. That matters. Santa Cruz is the more active man. That matters. It's a close fight, but I think those small edges will be enough for Santa Cruz to announce himself as a major star.
Main Event Prediction: Leo Santa Cruz by Unanimous Decision
Antonio Orozco (24-0, 16 KOs) vs. Abner Lopez (23-5, 19 KOs)
Key Info
Date: July 21stNetwork: HBO Latino
Promoter: Golden Boy Promotions/Top Rank
Undercard bouts: JoJo Diaz (20-0) vs. Victor Proa (28-1-2)
Interest Level: Medium
No one watches these HBO Latino fights, but they owe time to promoters and so--here we are. Neither B-side opponent has a hope in hell of winning here. Orozco and Diaz are both biding their time until a spot opens up on a Manny Pacquiao undercard or something of similar stature emerges. Neither man is a monster puncher in truth, but both will look devastating putting the boots to these two cans.
Main Event Prediction: Antonio Orozco by 7th Round KO