{"id":65687,"date":"2017-01-19T22:44:06","date_gmt":"2017-01-20T03:44:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/?p=65687"},"modified":"2017-01-19T22:44:46","modified_gmt":"2017-01-20T03:44:46","slug":"carl-frampton-leo-santa-cruz-stun-boxing-fans-with-recent-comments-breaking-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/?p=65687","title":{"rendered":"Carl Frampton – Leo Santa Cruz STUN Boxing Fans with Recent Comments – Breaking News"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Carl<\/a>Carl Frampton and Leo Santa Cruz sat down with SHOWTIME Sports\u00ae reporter Mark Kriegel as they prepare for their eagerly anticipated rematch next Saturday, Jan. 28, live on SHOWTIME\u00ae (10 p.m. ET\/7 p.m. PT) from MGM Grand in Las Vegas. The interviews are the latest in a reoccurring SHOWTIME Sports digital series, THE REVEAL with Mark Kriegel, featuring exclusive and in-depth interviews with boxing\u2019s emerging stars.<\/p>\n

Frampton, the consensus 2016 Fighter of the Year who narrowly outpointed Santa Cruz to become a two-division titleholder last July on SHOWTIME, opens up about growing up during \u201cThe Troubles\u201d in Belfast, his unique bond with Hall of Fame mentor Barry McGuigan, and how his legacy could forever be connected to Leo Santa Cruz. <\/p>\n

A three-division world champion, Santa Cruz discusses the pain of his first defeat, the affect his father\u2019s battle with cancer had on his training, his plans for the rematch and hope for a legendary rivalry.<\/p>\n

Below are bites from the separate interviews:<\/p>\n

KRIEGEL: \u201cYou make good on your father\u2019s dream, and now you\u2019re scared of him dying. The cancer \u2013 how did you train?\u201d<\/p>\n

SANTA CRUZ: \u201cIt was hard, it was hard to train, to concentrate. I still went to the gym and trained, (but) I didn\u2019t train as hard. I didn\u2019t train as the other fights because my dad wasn\u2019t there. My dad was going to chemo, he was going to radiation\u2026I thought to myself, maybe tomorrow he won\u2019t wake up.\u201d<\/p>\n

KRIEGEL: \u201cWhat did you tell your father after you lost?\u201d<\/p>\n

SANTA CRUZ: \u201cI told my dad, sorry. I\u2019m sorry we didn\u2019t get the win and that I disappointed you. My dad told me, \u2018that\u2019s alright. You didn\u2019t disappoint anybody. We\u2019re going to get him in the rematch.\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n

FRAMPTON INTERVIEW:<\/p>\n

KRIEGEL: \u201cAli and Frazier had each other, Leonard and Duran had each other. In order to be recognized as a great fighter you need an epic antagonist. And for all the talk, you might actually have one in Leo.\u201d<\/p>\n

FRAMPTON: \u201cI would like that \u2013 I would like a rivalry where in 20, 30 years from now people remember it. You always need a dance partner, and Leo Santa Cruz could be mine.\u201d<\/p>\n

KRIEGEL: Barry says you could end up as the greatest of all the Irish fighters. Aren\u2019t you almost beyond that already? Aren\u2019t the stakes already higher?<\/p>\n

FRAMPTON: \u201cNo, potentially I could be. After Santa Cruz I want to continue to fight big names and be involved in big fights. There\u2019s never been a Northern Irishman, apart from myself, to win a world title in two weight divisions. If I set my sights sometime in the future for the 130-pound division and become a three-weight world champion, I may feel comfortable calling myself the best Irish fighter of all time.\u201d<\/p>\n

KRIEGEL: \u201cBarry represented a symbol of peace during one of the darkest times in Northern Ireland. What does Carl Frampton represent?\u201d<\/p>\n

FRAMPTON: \u201cPeople want to look at me as a new figure for Northern Ireland. I\u2019m a Protestant, married to a Catholic. This is a new age thing.\u201d<\/p>\n