CARL FRAMPTON is slated to fight WBA world featherweight champion Leo Santa Cruz in America sometime in ‘late summer,’ according to broadcasters SHOWTIME.
They have included the mouthwatering scrap in their 2016 schedule and both sides have reportedly agreed to the fight.
A date and venue are yet to be finalised but with a major broadcaster behind it – and with both men advised by Al Haymon – negotiations should go fairly smoothly.
Frampton outpointed Scott Quigg to add the WBA world super-bantamweight title to his IBF strap last month [February 27] and immediately expressed his desire to face Santa Cruz, who has held world titles at super-bantam and bantamweight.
The fight would see Frampton make a predicted move up to featherweight, where Santa Cruz has already proved his worth by outpointing Abner Mares last year.
Santa Cruz continued to beat the drum for a Frampton fight after he stopped Kiko Martinez, a former victim of Carl’s, in five rounds on the same night the Ulsterman beat Quigg.
Frampton would also have to vacate the two world titles he currently holds – spurning a potential rematch with Quigg and mandatory obligations against Guillermo Rigondeaux (WBA) and Shingo Wake (IBF).
While a fight with Santa Cruz would itself earn Frampton a lot of money, a victory over the unbeaten Mexican would propel him onto some major paydays.
