Heartbroken Carl Frampton Hoping For Rubber Match In Belfast
Heartbroken Carl Frampton Hoping For Rubber Match In Belfast
Carl Frampton wants a third fight with Leo Santa Cruz in Belfast.
It was another great night for boxing last evening in Las Vegas, but not quite such a great night for Northern Ireland's Carl Frampton.
For the first time in his career, Frampton headlined the bill at the MGM Grand, but it wasn't to be his night as he lost his WBA super featherweight title to Leo Santa Cruz via a majority decision.
Having defeated Cruz just last summer for the belt, Frampton said that this time Cruz had been the better man and that he hoped they could settle it in a rubber match in his own backyard.
"He out boxed me at times and he was clever," Frampton admitted to Sky Sports after the fight. "I thought it was probably was the right decision, but I hope we can do it again. I know it was a close fight.
"I hope he's a man of his word and we can do it in Belfast. I've come to the States twice so maybe but let's see. We could have four, five or six [fights], but the fights are good so let's do it again please. I think he is a man of his word so we will do it again."
Having had a large crowd of Irish fans with him all week in Vegas supporting him, a gutted Frampton was clearly heartbroken at the fact he'd not been able to get the win for his traveling fans and even apologized to them.
"I think de double bluffed me," Frampton said. "my feet were a bit slow you know. I think I needed to let go of my hands a little more when I was in close and maybe set traps a little more. I've no excuses though, I had a fantastic training camp and I came totally prepared thanks to Shane McGuigan.
"I just want to say sorry to everyone and I feel like I let people down. I'm deeply disappointed, I thought we could make it 2-0. I haven't seen my kids in a month and what can I say, I'm sorry. But hey, if you want to look at the positives let's make it a trilogy and let's have our names forever linked together. I hopefully I can go one up and make it 2-1."
Standing alongside him, coach Shane McGuigan offered his own thoughts on the fight and he admitted that his man probably hadn't done enough to get the nod from the judges.
"I thought he [Frampton] was having some good rounds, but he was also switching off in some round," McGuigan said after. "We knew they were going to favor Santa Cruz out here because he's boxed out here before, but he did pretty much the same thing. He boxed in the same style and then came on strong in the last 30 seconds of each round and Carl switched off.
"I know if we get the rematch we can beat him again. Carl's got the ability to beat him we've already seen it once so let's get the rematch and go again."
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"We weren't really expecting to box on the back foot," McGuigan admitted. "If he was going to box on the back foot we said were going to keep our feet fast and he was a little sluggish in there and he started loading up a little bit much too early on. You could see he was little bit tired down the stretch but it was just one of those things."
By Jim Edwards/FloBoxing
For the first time in his career, Frampton headlined the bill at the MGM Grand, but it wasn't to be his night as he lost his WBA super featherweight title to Leo Santa Cruz via a majority decision.
Having defeated Cruz just last summer for the belt, Frampton said that this time Cruz had been the better man and that he hoped they could settle it in a rubber match in his own backyard.
"He out boxed me at times and he was clever," Frampton admitted to Sky Sports after the fight. "I thought it was probably was the right decision, but I hope we can do it again. I know it was a close fight.
"I hope he's a man of his word and we can do it in Belfast. I've come to the States twice so maybe but let's see. We could have four, five or six [fights], but the fights are good so let's do it again please. I think he is a man of his word so we will do it again."
Having had a large crowd of Irish fans with him all week in Vegas supporting him, a gutted Frampton was clearly heartbroken at the fact he'd not been able to get the win for his traveling fans and even apologized to them.
"I think de double bluffed me," Frampton said. "my feet were a bit slow you know. I think I needed to let go of my hands a little more when I was in close and maybe set traps a little more. I've no excuses though, I had a fantastic training camp and I came totally prepared thanks to Shane McGuigan.
"I just want to say sorry to everyone and I feel like I let people down. I'm deeply disappointed, I thought we could make it 2-0. I haven't seen my kids in a month and what can I say, I'm sorry. But hey, if you want to look at the positives let's make it a trilogy and let's have our names forever linked together. I hopefully I can go one up and make it 2-1."
Standing alongside him, coach Shane McGuigan offered his own thoughts on the fight and he admitted that his man probably hadn't done enough to get the nod from the judges.
"I thought he [Frampton] was having some good rounds, but he was also switching off in some round," McGuigan said after. "We knew they were going to favor Santa Cruz out here because he's boxed out here before, but he did pretty much the same thing. He boxed in the same style and then came on strong in the last 30 seconds of each round and Carl switched off.
"I know if we get the rematch we can beat him again. Carl's got the ability to beat him we've already seen it once so let's get the rematch and go again."
[instagram url="https://www.instagram.com/p/BPv-438Aczn/" hide_caption="0"]
"We weren't really expecting to box on the back foot," McGuigan admitted. "If he was going to box on the back foot we said were going to keep our feet fast and he was a little sluggish in there and he started loading up a little bit much too early on. You could see he was little bit tired down the stretch but it was just one of those things."
By Jim Edwards/FloBoxing