“It was a very tough fight,” Frampton says. “Some of the rounds were close but I feel like Léo probably deserved it.
“I want to apologize for the traveling support, but the better man
deserved it. I’m gutted. I’m gutted. He told me what he was going to do.
Sometimes I felt the brawler was outboxing hte boxer. It’s one-all, we
have to do it again.
“He was very clever. He used his reach. I think he deserved it. I’m
being honest. I think he deserved it, but it was a very good fight. No
excuses. I had a very good training camp, but let’s do it again. I hope
Léo’s a man of his word. He said if it was a third fight he’d come to
Belfast. Let’s do it agai
“Before the first fight, I wanted revenge,” Santa Cruz says.
“I did what I had to do. I knew it was going to be another tough fight
and like I said, let’s make it a third fight. I always knew how to use
my distance and everything. I like to give my fans a great fight. I’m
sorry for my fans, but that was the way to beat Frampton. If I had went
in, he would have counter-punched me all night.
“My head was telling me to go for it and pressure, but my dad was telling me box him.
“Of course I’m a man of my word. Let’s do it a third time.”
One judge scores it 114-114, but the other two have it 115-113 in favor of the winner ... Léo Santa Cruz! What a fight! Stand by for the in-ring interviews.
The Guardian has scored it 115-113 to Frampton but, my, the scores for this one appear to be all over the map. Who knows what to expect when the official scores are revealed in a few moments’ time.
Frampton clearly feeling he needs this round, wasting no time in
moving forward and throwing shots upstairs and down. A thudding right to
the body by Frampton! Frampton throwing a bevy of punches but not
landing cleanly, but Santa Cruz fires back with better precision. It’s
Santa Cruz’s round with a minute to go. They both look fresh – somehow! –
but Santa Cruz is doing the better work off the back heel. Another
classic from these two warriors! Santa Cruz trying to pick Santa Cruz
off as he rushes inside but Frampton is adamant! He did more to take the
fight to Santa Cruz in the final round and I’ve given it to him.
Guardian’s unofficial score: Frampton 10-9 Santa Cruz (Frampton 115-113 Santa Cruz)
Into the championship rounds we go. The accuracy seems to have gone
down as both fighters’ punches are missing the target. I’m told – having
no access to the punch stats – that Santa Cruz has thrown nearly 300
more punches through 10 rounds. That favors the challeger, especially in
Vegas. Frampton really sitting on his punches late in the round and
doing fine work upstairs, perhaps enough to nick the round near the end.
This really could go either way but I’m going to tip it to Frampton
based on his work near the end of the frame.
Guardian’s unofficial score: Frampton 10-9 Santa Cruz (Frampton 105-104 Santa Cruz)
More two-way action from the opening bell. How are these guys taking
so much punishment and moving forward? Santa Cruz more accurately early
but now a big exchange that Frampton got the better of. Santa Cruz now
punishing Frampton with counters. A close round with a minute to go. So
close, this round and the fight. A knockdown in the last seven minutes
could seal it for either man. The action slows as the clock ticks down.
The bell rings. Another close one! I’ve given it to Santa Cruz but it
was close! The scores for this one, should it go the distance, will be
all over the map.
“You’re a round down,” Frampton’s trainer Shane McGuigan tells his
fighter between rounds. “Get the little shots off on the inside, not the
one big one.” Frampton continues to move forward after the bell rings.
Santa Cruz has seemed to abandon the jab-first game plan and it’s played
into Frampton’s hands, but he’s still landing big shots when Frampton
walks inside. Big left hook by Santa Cruz! The first clear round in some
time and an easy one to score for Santa Cruz. The challenger’s footwork
was markedly better in that round, putting himself in position to make
Frampton pay again and again.
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