Joe Callaghan reports from New York City
CARL FRAMPTON DIDN’T need to look down. Not even a glance. For the 23rd fight of his professional life is not like any that have come before.
On Friday lunchtime, amid the heat and hustle of the heart of Brooklyn, Frampton was coolness personified as he stepped aboard the scales. Tonight at the Barclays Centre he faces his most ferocious foe yet. But the fight before the fight — making the weight — has never been easier.
The Jackal makes his debut at featherweight against the division’s predator in chief, WBA champion Leo Santa Cruz. The extra four pounds afforded to Frampton weren’t even needed — he tipped the scales at 125.25lbs with his rival a quarter pound heavier. On the eve of a date with destiny, the Belfast fighter had never felt better.
“I’m a natural featherweight,” said the 29-year-old, who had dominated and then unified the super bantamweight division with triumph over Scott Quigg in Manchester earlier this year. “This is the easiest I’ve made the weight in five or six years. It’s the best I’ve ever felt.
“I wanted a big name. I want to prove myself. I know I can deal with these guys. Whatever it takes to win, I’m gonna do. I’m coming home with that title.”
Doing so would open all sorts of doors for Frampton, it would also establish him as the first Irishman to reign as champion in two weight divisions since Steve Collins two decades ago. But there is a three-weight world champion standing in his way.
Santa Cruz is a whirling, swirling dervish of attack. His fists fly with such fury that his opponents just can’t find their focus. Frampton’s footwork, which let him down on a soggy canvass on his US debut a year ago, had better be impeccable here as he gives up eight inches in reach.
But a fighter who spends as much time on the attack as El Terremoto can leave the goal unattended at times. That’s when Frampton’s crisp and then crushing counters can tell. This is the sort of match-up that modern fight fans crave. Should it deliver on its potential, an instant classic is in the offing.
There is no little poignancy in the protege making his prime-time bow stateside and finding the belt his mentor surrendered to America almost 30 years to the day on the line. Barry McGuigan had barely a single factor in his favour when he fought Steve Cruz under the debilitating desert sun of Nevada on the tarmac outside Caesar’s Palace in 1986.
Frampton has many more reasons for optimism here. New York is unfamiliar terrain for Santa Cruz too, out of his Californian comfort zone. The styles match up and the weight was never an issue either. Perhaps that’s why the manager and old master is so bullish.
“It’s not if,” McGuigan scolded us. “He’s going to do it. No ifs, buts or maybes. He’s going to beat the living daylights out of this guy. He’s going to ship a lot of shots in return but he’s going to beat the hell out of him.”
No need to look down. No need to look up either. Just watch.
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Looking forward to Donegal V Kerry. Doing my own pole so please let me know who you think will win.
Green thumbs up if you believe Donegal will win & red thumbs down if you think Kerry will win.
What should we do if we know you can’t spell ‘poll’?
Donegal is a really fit team they will give Kerry a run for their money
Anyone but Dublin!!!!!
Anyone but culchies Johnboy!!
I think John might be a bot. He posts the same message on every GAA thread.
Hey ‘John’, what county are you from?
Dubs over confident as usual, then they wonder why their so disliked???
With a draw like that, I’d be plenty confident myself, of a final spot if nothing else!
Mark
That is the reason I dont want them to win their fans are so arrogant.
When your all ireland champions, you can afford to be confident
Oh yeah and what about Popcorns comment Mayo for Sam? So if you’re from Dublin it’s arrogant but anywhere else in the thirty two it’s what? Hope?
We’re disliked because we’re confident? I can live with that! Áth Cliath Abú!!
That’s funnyMmr Deane with your Leinster rugby sign… That’s what our Munster rugby fans thought of Leinster for years until some culchies got into the ranks .
Dublin fans like being unliked. We strive for it.. Its more fun rubbing our success in people’s faces when they clearly don’t like us. Hon the County.
Donegal will have to beat Kerry, Cork and Dublin to win the All Ireland this year …………. and they will. Sam is for the hills.
You’re for the hills Joe with that analysis!!!
Very unlikely, Joe.
Nice run to the final for the dubs. Dublin v Donegal final.
Kerry v Donegal the game of the quarters old v new.
Up Kerry.
Cork, Laois, Kerry Mayo. Hard to see anyone beating Kerry now and will be great to see Dublin lose to Laois. Although a complete hammering by one of the big teams in the semis might be more fun.
Dublin lose to Laois? In yer dreams kid! And your analysis of Kerry? They scraped past Westmeath, bet a poor Tyrone team and hammered that great footballing county, Clare!!! Dublin v Cork final.
Mayo for Sam.
Well said Popcorn!
Mayo for popcorn, Kerry Donegal is mouthwatering.
The semi final line up will be Dublin, Donegal, Mayo & Kildare.
There are no “easy games” from now on.
Laois is an easy game
We’re gonna kill Laois! Up the Dubs!
Laois absolutely dominated a mediocre Meath side today.
Dublin , Kerry , Cork and Mayo in the semi finals me reckons!!!!
I think Dublin are the strongest from that side of the draw. The other side is a hard call. Kerry cork donegal Kildare. any of the 4
Anyone but the animals !
But Meath were knocked out today? ;-)
Don’t be drinking the animal juice then.n
Mayo for Sam-wiches!
I’ll give ya that one Clive :0)
We are all being unfair to the Dubs and. not recognising the dis-advantages their team has to try and win All Ireland titles. They only have a population of over 1 million to pick from, they are forced by the GAA to play ALL their championship games at home, their supporters have only to travel a few minutes to see their games and last year they only had a budget of 2 million euro to prepare their county teams. So be fair and give them a chance. Sam for the over populated hills in 2012.
The culchies won’t be happy when we win again. The Decade of The Dubs…available in all good book shops in 2020!!!
Fiction section, of course.
The decade of the Dubs sounds sweet as. These clowns don’t realise that if our young players didn’t bottle it against the Corkies, we would be going for three in a row.
Rather be a Dub for a day, than a culchie for a lifetime.
Hill 16.
And if your grandmother had balls, she’d be your grandfather!
Just a quick low down on the dubs for ye there lads don’t ye run away with yourselves. Dublin beat a piss poor Kerry performance by the skin of their teeth last year. Dublin have no naturally gited footballers other than the Brogans and that is evident in that the second they drop the intensity they fall apart. We could all say if’s and but’s but unfortunately for Dublin the history books don’t accept those words as results! So, to save yourself embarrassment I’d let the Evening Herald analysis and headlines off, it’ll only come back to bite you. As a die hard Cork fan, I am under no elusions. I still fear Kerry ten times more than Donegal or Dublin for that matter. I hate to admit it but that’s the fact. I am confident that should we get past Kildare and happen to meet Kerry we can do them but even I, a Cork man, with a more gifted team of players than Dublin by a mile, wouldn’t be calling this decade the decade of the “Corkies”.
PS: Cork is a city too, everywhere outside of Dublin village is not a rural “culchie” area so leave off the dopey and tired ole guff that belongs between the fair weather, low iq fans in the Hill!
Well wow diarmuid!
For a man who doesn’t see Dublin as a threat you certainly spend alot of time analysing them…
I was in pairc ui chaoimh earlier this year with a considerable number of dubs and about 7 cork fans and all I saw corks “natural footballers” do was hand pass the ball for 70 minutes.
Personally I’d be more worried about the dubs playing mayo than cork. I hope you lads beat Kerry personally because despite your clear arrogance there’s alot more of it in Kerry even if they do have some great footballers!
Ouch my head is killing me after typing this with my low iq and all…:)
Dubs in a bookshop!now that’s funny
@john clearly they remarks were directed at the culchie and decade of the dubs remarks. I have nothing but respect for the honest dub fan but even the most hardcore dub fan would admit that on match day at least half the hill would be doing well to even know what sport they’re watching. If you fear mayo more than cork, I’d question your judgement, given dub recent record against both.
Andrew was blowing smoke up yir h0les, looking for a reaction,and you all jumped up and gave it to him!
Irony deficiency methinks, low IQ indeed! :))
So easy to wind up.
Culchies….take the bait every time!!!
Who honestly cares.. An insignificant sport!
Why are you reading this story so?
Wind up merchants.
FIXED in favour of the Dubs. So so obvious
Did Jim Corr tell you that?
What fools you are to think that the men from Donegal will let Kerry get in their way.It will be the surprise game of this years championship. Can’t wait.
Hopefully they won’t need 3 attempts to get the job done
Donegal can defend , we can all see that but now they can also attack.
LAOIS LAOIS LAOIS!
….will LOSE LOSE LOSE! :)
It will be Dublin, Cork, Kerry & Down in da semi finals, 2 of Dublin, Cork & Kerry in the final!!!
Even a fool can work out the Dubs success rate 1977 to 2011 a total of 3 All Ireland victories …… Even a Dub can do the Maths.
1977, 1983, 1995, 2011. Doesn’t that equal 4? I’m just checking, because as a Dub I’m not too good at the oul Maths Joe!! Oh dear Joe, EPIC FAIL!!!!!!!!
Anybody can have their view , even a fool . Let’s see how it goes.
Kerry V Donegal is going to be like Beauty and the Beast.
Totally unnecessary to call Paul Galvin a beast
What fools you are to think that the men from Donegal will let Kerry get in their way.It will be the surprise game of this years championship. Can’t wait.
Kerry
Kildare Cork
Donegal
Dublin
Mayo
Down
laois
Its quite east hope this helps
What fools you are to think that the men from Donegal will let Kerry get in their way.It will be the surprise game of this years championship. Can’t wait.