:00:15. > :00:23.Proudly representing Belfast, Northern Ireland... Undefeated in
:00:24. > :00:28.his campaign with a record of 122 wins, no losses, 14 wins through
:00:29. > :00:37.knockout. The undefeated Irish superstar and former unified ?122
:00:38. > :00:49.champion of the world, known as The Jackal, introducing Carl Frampton!
:00:50. > :00:55.Carl Frampton was seven when he first came to the Midland boxing
:00:56. > :00:59.club in Tigers Bay and like all young fighters he dreamt about
:01:00. > :01:07.becoming the world champion by very few ever make it to the top. That is
:01:08. > :01:13.exactly what he did. Two decades later, he secured the IBF Super
:01:14. > :01:17.Bantamweight title after an unforgettable victory over Kiko
:01:18. > :01:22.Martinez. He then unified the division, defeating Scott Quigg to
:01:23. > :01:31.hold the WBA belt. But he had his eyes on even bigger prizes. A world
:01:32. > :01:35.title was enough when I signed on the dotted line and turned
:01:36. > :01:41.professional but as you reach the goal, you make new goals and I now
:01:42. > :01:46.want to make history. In order to do that, he had to take a risk and move
:01:47. > :01:55.up to featherweight, where he would face another undefeated fighter, the
:01:56. > :02:00.Mexican star, Leo Santa Cruz. It is the biggest fight of my life. It is
:02:01. > :02:05.going to be one of the biggest of my career, this could be the one that
:02:06. > :02:11.defines me. The one that will make me the world champion, the only
:02:12. > :02:16.northern or man to do that. The showdown took place at the Barclays
:02:17. > :02:20.Center in New York and the boxing fraternity have dubbed this the
:02:21. > :02:21.fight of the year. Guiding us through the contest, Harry Jones and
:02:22. > :02:26.John blog. The time has come for the bout
:02:27. > :02:29.you've all been waiting for. The WBA featherweight
:02:30. > :02:31.championship of the It's time for Santa
:02:32. > :02:35.Cruz versus Frampton! And now, he is a former world
:02:36. > :02:44.champion and undefeated number two contender - Carl
:02:45. > :02:59."The Jackal" Frampton! A penny for the thoughts of Carl
:03:00. > :03:08.Frampton as he makes his way to the ring, is this going to be the moment
:03:09. > :03:14.for The Jackal? Or is El Terremoto, the earthquake, going to prove
:03:15. > :03:19.himself superior? It has the makings of an absolutely outstanding fight,
:03:20. > :03:25.this one. It does, Frampton has been asking for this since 2014, he gets
:03:26. > :03:31.his wish and this is a very uphill struggle. He has looked sensational.
:03:32. > :03:36.He is good enough to beat Leo Santa Cruz, but this will be hard. By far
:03:37. > :03:48.the biggest fight of his career. He has the undefeated WBA featherweight
:03:49. > :03:54.champion of the world. El Terremoto, Leo Santa Cruz! There have not been
:03:55. > :03:58.many times when Leo Santa Cruz has received what could be called a
:03:59. > :04:04.mixed reception but actually, it sounds pretty hostile! He is used to
:04:05. > :04:10.being the favourite. But not on this occasion, he won the title against
:04:11. > :04:18.Abner Mares. The same night as Carl Frampton defeated Scott Quigg. He
:04:19. > :04:24.was the Super Bantamweight, and Kiko Martinez was also and you really
:04:25. > :04:32.have two Super Bantamweights boxing at featherweight. Santa Cruz has
:04:33. > :04:36.such a big frame, you would imagine he has moved up comfortably. Not a
:04:37. > :04:43.spare seat in this place, an electric atmosphere. And exuded
:04:44. > :04:49.confidence in the run-up to this. The statistics... Santa Cruz, he is
:04:50. > :04:55.taller with the rich advantage. The knockout percentage is absolutely
:04:56. > :05:02.identical. As always, unified rules. We just wait for the formal
:05:03. > :05:05.introductions of both fighters for what is eagerly awaited and could
:05:06. > :05:15.turn out to be one of the fights of the year. Introducing first, the
:05:16. > :05:21.challenger on my left, fighting from the red corner, entering the ring
:05:22. > :05:28.wearing light blue trunks, fighting and proudly representing Belfast,
:05:29. > :05:33.Northern Ireland... He weighed in at 125 and a quarter, undefeated in his
:05:34. > :05:39.campaign with a record of 22 wins, no losses, 14 wins coming by way of
:05:40. > :05:47.knockout. Ladies and gentlemen, please well, the undefeated Irish
:05:48. > :05:52.superstar and former unified 122 pound champion of the world, known
:05:53. > :05:57.as The Jackal, introducing Carl Frampton!
:05:58. > :06:04.APPLAUSE Bell RINGS
:06:05. > :06:08.And his opponent, on my right, fighting from the blue corner,
:06:09. > :06:16.wearing white trunks with blue -- gold trim, from Los Angeles,
:06:17. > :06:20.California, weighing in at 125.5 pounds and undefeated in Spain has
:06:21. > :06:26.-- in his campaign. One draw with 18 wins coming by way
:06:27. > :06:31.of knockout. Tonight, making the second defence of his current title,
:06:32. > :06:36.he is the three weight division world champion and the current
:06:37. > :06:43.undefeated and reigning WBA featherweight champion of the world.
:06:44. > :06:51.Introducing El Terremoto, Leo Santa Cruz!
:06:52. > :06:55.APPLAUSE Protect yourself at all times. Touch
:06:56. > :07:08.gloves, good luck to you. This could be special. The boxing
:07:09. > :07:14.world awaits. Is Frampton about to pick up the biggest win of his
:07:15. > :07:18.career or will Santa Cruz, whose father, Jose, is in the corner with
:07:19. > :07:27.him, is he going to be able to maintain his undefeated record? If
:07:28. > :07:33.Santa Cruz gets into a role and can throw an anticipated avalanche of
:07:34. > :07:39.punches, then it might be that he can overwhelm Frampton but if
:07:40. > :07:42.Frampton can use the intelligence and ring generalship, which we know
:07:43. > :07:52.he is capable of producing, it could be a night of frustration for Leo
:07:53. > :07:58.Santa Cruz. He has to hurt Leo Santa Cruz early, so that Santa Cruz does
:07:59. > :08:09.not want to come forward as much as he would like. The Irish fans making
:08:10. > :08:19.their presence overwhelmingly heard. Who will seize the initiative in the
:08:20. > :08:23.opening round? Frampton has to find a way past that outstanding jab and
:08:24. > :08:29.that is good work from Frampton, the body shot followed by a very sharp
:08:30. > :08:34.left hand, his jab is underrated, although the smaller man, he has
:08:35. > :08:44.accuracy and power in that punch. He slides that in quite fast and wide,
:08:45. > :08:51.and he is staying nice and low, that jab is on an uphill trajectory.
:08:52. > :08:57.Santa Cruz must be aware that in the big fight that Carl Frampton has, he
:08:58. > :09:01.had against Scott Quigg, it was his inactivity in the early rounds that
:09:02. > :09:11.allowed Frampton to ultimately win very convincingly. Frampton, ready
:09:12. > :09:16.to stand his ground and deliver powerful shots in this opening
:09:17. > :09:22.round. Nice little right hand, good footwork. You cannot go back in
:09:23. > :09:30.straight lines, you must move to the side.
:09:31. > :09:39.When Santa Cruz throws at double jab, you must not get close. Nice
:09:40. > :09:44.and long, like that, but this is more committed from Santa Cruz.
:09:45. > :09:48.Frampton sits on his back foot, you know he is trying to set you up with
:09:49. > :10:00.something. That stops you from walking forward, nice sharp bubbling
:10:01. > :10:04.from Frampton. That is better from Santa Cruz, one of those fights that
:10:05. > :10:10.will be close, it could be difficult to score. Santa Cruz, back came
:10:11. > :10:19.Frampton, the left hand of his own. That is important, for Frampton.
:10:20. > :10:23.Always fireback. Santa Cruz is a fighter who is capable of throwing
:10:24. > :10:27.100 punches around if he gets into his rhythm and he can look very
:10:28. > :10:33.impressive if he can throw that jab and double up on the front foot.
:10:34. > :10:42.Fascinating opening round. That is around four Frampton, for me. -- a
:10:43. > :10:48.round for Carl Frampton. When he steps in, he always comes back, the
:10:49. > :10:58.sharper, jab straight after, nice and quick. Rory McIlroy. The reward
:10:59. > :11:03.of failing to make the halfway cut in the US PGA, he can be at
:11:04. > :11:07.ringside. And Frank Lampard just behind him. And Lee Selby is in the
:11:08. > :11:14.crowd, the IBF featherweight champion. Nice body shot from Santa
:11:15. > :11:25.Cruz, Frampton replies with one of his own. That is a nice right hand
:11:26. > :11:26.from Santa Cruz, Frampton trying to return fire but Santa Cruz will like
:11:27. > :11:41.that. Frampton must be careful, do not go
:11:42. > :11:48.back in straight lines. The right hand from Santa Cruz. He has to stay
:11:49. > :11:54.nice and low, Frampton, he is in the pocket. Trying to produce powerful
:11:55. > :12:00.shots in the early days of this fight, Frampton, to show that he is
:12:01. > :12:07.in there. It is important that he makes Santa Cruz feel his power
:12:08. > :12:10.early in this fight. Bullying Santa Cruz. Santa Cruz is so much of a
:12:11. > :12:16.fighter, he is better on the front foot. He is trying to take this away
:12:17. > :12:22.from Santa Cruz but is this high risk? I think it is important that
:12:23. > :12:27.he fires back, but I do not think he wants to get involved in much of
:12:28. > :12:34.this, evenhanded, maybe. Santa Cruz is used to throwing punches. That
:12:35. > :12:36.was a nice right hand from Frampton, and another, Santa Cruz fighting
:12:37. > :12:45.from his back foot but doing so effectively. Santa Cruz has landed
:12:46. > :12:52.more shots but I think the better quality has come from Carl Frampton.
:12:53. > :13:01.He says he wants to create a sporting legacy. In 20 years he
:13:02. > :13:06.wants to be able to walk into the bars in Belfast and for people to
:13:07. > :13:11.say there is Carl Frampton, our greatest fighter, do you want a
:13:12. > :13:18.pint? I think a lot of people would do that anyway but good shot! He
:13:19. > :13:25.staggers Santa Cruz. The crowd up on their feet. Core him off balance,
:13:26. > :13:33.the power of Frampton, another big right hand and another. Dramatic
:13:34. > :13:38.exchange in this second. Still has to keep his hands in the air and
:13:39. > :13:49.stay nice and low, a left hook catching Santa Cruz coming forward.
:13:50. > :13:52.Must not get too carried away. Signs in the second round of Santa Cruz
:13:53. > :13:57.being beaten to the punch and I don't think many thought that would
:13:58. > :14:04.happen, a good body shot again from Frampton. The closing seconds of a
:14:05. > :14:09.round where the power shots emphatically came from Frampton, and
:14:10. > :14:15.look at the Irish fans on their feet. At tremendous run from prof
:14:16. > :14:19.Frampton. He has made Santa Cruz feel the power early and that will
:14:20. > :14:25.make him cautious going forward knowing that he can be hurt.
:14:26. > :14:36.Just on the top of the head there. He nearly went, Barry. We've seen
:14:37. > :14:43.him recover quite well. Frampton took his time, didn't rush in, he
:14:44. > :14:50.knows Santa Cruz is always dangerous, he will fire back. He was
:14:51. > :14:57.off balance, it accentuated it. I think the shot hit him of Allen 's
:14:58. > :15:02.from the top of the head, it was a gently heavy shot and he felt it.
:15:03. > :15:10.Santa Cruz doesn't look like a 2-1 favourite now, first two rounds to
:15:11. > :15:18.Frampton. Moving into the third. He wasn't having a bad run until then,
:15:19. > :15:24.he was the busier of the two. And lovely look to this fight, the
:15:25. > :15:34.referee has almost been anonymous so far. Let's hope it continues that
:15:35. > :15:47.way. Frampton doesn't quite well, he takes that little step back, Santa
:15:48. > :15:56.Cruz through three long straight punches, it is about angles, a mere
:15:57. > :16:01.punches and angled down low. Barry McGuigan and animated figure at
:16:02. > :16:07.ringside, living every punch with the man whose career he has guided,
:16:08. > :16:11.spotted him as an amateur and he saw the talent he thought would carry
:16:12. > :16:20.him to the top. So far he has been proved right. Good head moved there
:16:21. > :16:26.from Carl Frampton. And nice left hook again and more of a tentative
:16:27. > :16:34.look about Santa Cruz than there was in the early stages. Trying to keep
:16:35. > :16:43.his gloves high. That's the important thing, to stay low, he's
:16:44. > :16:51.made the block, straight punches and hooks, little screw shots.
:16:52. > :16:57.Frampton's right hand, and I hope over the top, and back comes Santa
:16:58. > :17:07.Cruz. Brilliant work there from Carl Frampton. Just take a step to the
:17:08. > :17:12.site, move away and start again. Early stages, still in the third
:17:13. > :17:22.round, but Frampton is looking the superior boxer. And also the man
:17:23. > :17:27.with a heavier shots. It was important to make Santa Cruz feel
:17:28. > :17:36.his power, Santa Cruz was going to do for it at one stage but now he's
:17:37. > :17:40.more tentative to come forth. A nice hand over the top from Frampton
:17:41. > :17:48.again, Santa Cruz going looking for him. A glancing blow and a trace of
:17:49. > :17:54.a smile on the face of the Mexican. Right hand to body of Frampton. That
:17:55. > :18:02.is something, the jab and then work the body. He's taking a step to the
:18:03. > :18:15.side, a good round their again for Carl Frampton. Irish fans in full
:18:16. > :18:22.voice. Keep this stamina and then hit him 12 and then step. A little
:18:23. > :18:30.stammer, David Hay in the background, watching. He didn't
:18:31. > :18:38.quite reach for the jab. He knew he had to go forward without right
:18:39. > :18:46.uppercut. A lovely shot. Very well good judgment of the distance. He
:18:47. > :18:54.will be over the moon, Barry McGuigan. Barry McGuigan has said in
:18:55. > :19:00.the run-up to this he is a better fighter than I was. If he is, he is
:19:01. > :19:07.some fighter. So far here he is proving himself, but a long way to
:19:08. > :19:13.go as we move into Round 4 of this 12 round world title fight. I'm sure
:19:14. > :19:22.at some point of the fight he will get into the rhythm but he hasn't
:19:23. > :19:27.nailed it yet. Scott Quigg didn't come on strong in the second half of
:19:28. > :19:31.what you would say was the career defining fight of Carl Frampton to
:19:32. > :19:36.date and he did have one or two rocky moments in the second half of
:19:37. > :19:44.that fight -- Scott Quigg did come on strong. Frampton rather
:19:45. > :19:50.telegraphed that right and left himself open to the counter. A
:19:51. > :19:59.little more snap in the punches of Carl Frampton. I like the little
:20:00. > :20:04.phrase Shane McGuigan was using, keep the stuttering in your work.
:20:05. > :20:09.There is the right hand of Santa Cruz, he doesn't want to absorb too
:20:10. > :20:21.many of those. Good body shot and right hand over the top.
:20:22. > :20:30.Left hook therefrom Santa Cruz. Frampton has to keep that right hand
:20:31. > :20:36.up when he throws the left. A backward step, again a smite --
:20:37. > :20:48.slight smile on the face of Santa Cruz. Again, he's looking busier,
:20:49. > :20:59.Santa Cruz, are hardier worker than Carl Frampton. A little more weight
:21:00. > :21:06.in the punches. He said if he cannot make it a war he will try to make it
:21:07. > :21:11.long and work on his jabs. It's a great sign for Frampton at Santa
:21:12. > :21:18.Cruz hasn't been trying to steam roller him because he knows Frampton
:21:19. > :21:28.can hurt him, he knows he has power. This is better from Santa Cruz. Good
:21:29. > :21:36.right hand. Good timing there, good rocket. Best spell of the round,
:21:37. > :21:43.good right hand from Frampton, back comes Santa Cruz, who was having his
:21:44. > :21:51.best spell of the fight so far. I think he just caught Frampton coming
:21:52. > :21:56.forward. Nice shot from Frampton, final scoring punch of the round
:21:57. > :22:03.from Santa Cruz, showing that he has the ability to box his way back into
:22:04. > :22:08.this. Maybe his first round of the fight so far. I thought he was
:22:09. > :22:13.busier for the first half of the round Tom Frampton, but then lovely
:22:14. > :22:21.shots from Santa Cruz to claw the round back. If you were in the Santa
:22:22. > :22:28.Cruz Corner what would you say? You have to make space for that right
:22:29. > :22:32.hand, I think single punches, he pushes him back to the first one and
:22:33. > :22:42.then make space for the long right hand. Just trying to come forward.
:22:43. > :22:46.If you were watching this, or watching it back and have been
:22:47. > :22:52.there, then you will say, it is showing that it is what we hoped it
:22:53. > :22:58.would be as we move into the fifth round.
:22:59. > :23:04.Frampton, who has made a great start to this fight, but Santa Cruz
:23:05. > :23:19.starting to find his rhythm and his range in the fourth. Nice right hand
:23:20. > :23:25.from Frampton. He is not afraid to commit, Santa Cruz, but a little
:23:26. > :23:29.cautious. Even that jab, there is nothing on it, he's not as confident
:23:30. > :23:36.as he usually is when he wants to be offensive. He got smacked in the
:23:37. > :23:43.head as he brought it back, that right hand has served Frampton well.
:23:44. > :23:48.See steps behind the first jab and a solid punch connected well, he just
:23:49. > :23:57.pushes Frampton back a little off-balance. Not far off without
:23:58. > :24:02.right hand there, Carl Frampton. First minute of this fifth round,
:24:03. > :24:11.and despite the posturing, not too many solid shots landed so far. He
:24:12. > :24:17.is dipping to the left, sorry, dipping to the right, Carl Frampton.
:24:18. > :24:25.Every now and then I would dip to the left and come back with a long
:24:26. > :24:33.left hook. Or maybe a left uppercut. Keeping the variety, I guess. Santa
:24:34. > :24:41.Cruz a little bit tentative, good defensively from Frampton.
:24:42. > :24:52.Quiet road so far when defensive skills have been shown by both men.
:24:53. > :25:08.Concentration level from Carl Frampton is pretty good so far.
:25:09. > :25:19.We were talking about Santa Cruz peeing 100 punches a round, but not
:25:20. > :25:26.tonight. The right again, that is the one Santa Cruz is wary of. A
:25:27. > :25:33.lovely shop there from Frampton, he will have to take a decent shot,
:25:34. > :25:39.just stop him in his tracks. A quieter round, these are the rooms
:25:40. > :25:45.that can be so important in scoring a fight. Sometimes with these quiet
:25:46. > :25:52.rounds on which the whole verdict might hinge, left hand from Frampton
:25:53. > :26:00.as he comes leaping in and over the top on the bell. Close round. A
:26:01. > :26:12.Frampton round for me, though. I think he is boxing great right now.
:26:13. > :26:19.See that creeping up, creeping up, he's trying to tie you all the time,
:26:20. > :26:28.keep changing the rhythm. The more you change your height and side to
:26:29. > :26:32.side, just stammering in and out. Frampton is boxing great, the fact
:26:33. > :26:39.he has reduced Santa Cruz to only throwing 30 punches a round is a
:26:40. > :26:45.thing in itself. He made him feel the power early. Leo Santa Cruz has
:26:46. > :26:49.been one of the world's outstanding boxers in recent years, many thought
:26:50. > :26:59.he would have too much for Frampton but Frampton is ahead. Sixth round
:27:00. > :27:01.of the fight. Good timing, he's taking shots because he is boxing a
:27:02. > :27:14.quality operator. Looking to vary his angles. Took a
:27:15. > :27:19.couple from Santa Cruz as he went in and closed there and another one but
:27:20. > :27:25.a good right hand, Frampton. Terrific exchange, Barry. Santa Cruz
:27:26. > :27:31.is doing more punches but the heavier hands are coming from Carl
:27:32. > :27:37.Frampton. He walked into a left hook from Santa Cruz in close. It's the
:27:38. > :27:45.right uppercut now, Carl Frampton. This is macho man staff, on which
:27:46. > :27:48.the reputation of Mexico has been built, is this were Santa Cruz will
:27:49. > :27:53.feel comfortable or will it be Frampton?
:27:54. > :28:00.Not there not being wasted. Santa Cruz is busier but the quality work
:28:01. > :28:19.is from Carl Frampton, for sure. Good footwork, Santa Cruz was made
:28:20. > :28:26.to miss that. He is struggling at the minute, Santa Cruz, not being
:28:27. > :28:33.outboxed but struggling. Not the usual snap in that jab. He is
:28:34. > :28:37.reticent to double up, his trademark attack. He will keep trying and
:28:38. > :28:40.throwing punches and being competitive but once you can feel
:28:41. > :28:47.the power of somebody who can punch, you push the punch and the jab,
:28:48. > :28:50.everything tends to be slower. Another good exchange and Santa Cruz
:28:51. > :29:00.is digging deep, very big head shots. And this time it is Frampton
:29:01. > :29:04.on the back foot. You can see the glee in his face, after some
:29:05. > :29:14.success, Frampton is feeling his power. Santa Cruz is digging deep.
:29:15. > :29:20.And he is prevailing, maybe, in the latter stages of Round 6. Showing
:29:21. > :29:28.the resolve of the champion. It is all about perseverance with Santa
:29:29. > :29:34.Cruz. Well over the top. That is a Santa Cruz round. It was pretty much
:29:35. > :29:39.up for grabs until the last 30 seconds and then some quality work
:29:40. > :29:43.from Leo Santa Cruz and he needed that, as well. We're watching some
:29:44. > :29:56.of the action, that was a terrific ground. The referee had nothing to
:29:57. > :30:01.do. Both of them digging in, lots of missed punches but this is towards
:30:02. > :30:07.the end of the round, left-hand and right gets through from Santa Cruz,
:30:08. > :30:12.starting to get on top. Lovely two left hooks. And once he has that
:30:13. > :30:18.success, he lets his hands go, he keeps pumping them out. Once they
:30:19. > :30:27.get hit, they will both fireback. Halfway stage. You have this 4-2,
:30:28. > :30:39.Frampton. Into the second half of the fight. Santa Cruz, such
:30:40. > :30:43.phenomenal fitness levels, and he fancies this more. Baby at a point
:30:44. > :30:53.where Frampton has to assert himself. -- maybe. There was always
:30:54. > :31:02.the situation where this would be telling. On the stretch. He still
:31:03. > :31:09.has loads of energy. Round 6, that might be the catalyst to get him
:31:10. > :31:14.going. The first time the referee has had to say anything to both
:31:15. > :31:20.fighters. Santa Cruz is throwing more 11 at the stage. That was a
:31:21. > :31:25.good uppercut from Frampton. That was good, bending his legs, and low.
:31:26. > :31:38.Silly, lazy mistake from Carl Frampton, there. Santa Cruz,
:31:39. > :31:45.starting to outwork Frampton. This could be the key moment in the
:31:46. > :31:50.fight. Frampton needs to stop Santa Cruz really getting into his rhythm.
:31:51. > :32:01.Santa Cruz getting rhythm, and he is... He needs to hurt him again.
:32:02. > :32:14.Santa Cruz on the front foot, where he wants to be. Relentless. He keeps
:32:15. > :32:22.on coming, the Irish bands trying to raise up Frampton once more, who had
:32:23. > :32:31.a dream start to the site. -- fans. Just a little bit pushing his
:32:32. > :32:35.punches again, Carl Frampton. He seems to have lost the initiative.
:32:36. > :32:43.He has had to work hard to get that good lead. Lovely left hook from
:32:44. > :32:51.Frampton. That was well timed. And, again... But the overall impression
:32:52. > :32:56.in this round, like the last one, is that the more scoring shots and
:32:57. > :33:00.maybe the eye-catching work is coming from Santa Cruz. Lovely left
:33:01. > :33:05.hand from Frampton but the Mexican is landing more punches. He is
:33:06. > :33:10.finishing this round pretty good, Carl Frampton. Santa Cruz has been
:33:11. > :33:16.busier, for sure. Going down as another Santa Cruz, this round.
:33:17. > :33:30.Despite moments of quality from Frampton. It is absolutely in the
:33:31. > :33:34.balance. Do you agree? Yes, two rounds on the spin, this is very
:33:35. > :33:40.important for Carl Frampton, he needs to win this round and stop the
:33:41. > :33:44.momentum of Santa Cruz. He starting to feel more comfortable. You will
:33:45. > :33:53.hybrid own ideas but Santa Cruz, has he turned the tide? -- you will have
:33:54. > :34:01.your own. Moving into Round 8. Absolutely in the mix. That is his
:34:02. > :34:08.father. Jose, leading the corner. With his brother, Antonio, by his
:34:09. > :34:15.side. And on the other side... Well, you know who that is! Carl Frampton
:34:16. > :34:21.has been boxing great up until now, but he needs his second wind, to
:34:22. > :34:29.stop Santa Cruz's lament. Round 8. He needs to hurt him again. --
:34:30. > :34:36.momentum. Can he do so? Can he somehow find the power to put Santa
:34:37. > :34:42.Cruz into reverse gear, take some of the urgency out of his work? His
:34:43. > :34:50.father is raging with his jab. That is a worrying sign. Frampton, trying
:34:51. > :34:53.to do precisely what you said, trying to get inside and upset the
:34:54. > :34:58.rhythm of Santa Cruz and this is a very big moment in the fight, who
:34:59. > :35:03.will prevail? That is good from Frampton, looking for the right
:35:04. > :35:13.uppercut. Both of them are waging war. And Frampton is on the front
:35:14. > :35:24.foot once more. All of the quality in that exchange was from Frampton,
:35:25. > :35:30.for me. That was a good body shot. Two of them, landing with real
:35:31. > :35:40.quality, left hooks to the body and both finding the target. This is
:35:41. > :35:45.where you cannot switch off, Frampton, at a safe distance, Santa
:35:46. > :35:50.Cruz closes that gap quickly. Close round but Santa Cruz may be throwing
:35:51. > :35:58.more punches, even if Frampton is blocking the bulk of them. You have
:35:59. > :36:07.to go back to slipping and counting, Frampton. Take the jab. Holding his
:36:08. > :36:12.feet too long. Trying to measure him for the big right hand, Frampton. It
:36:13. > :36:19.is good that he has Santa Cruz moving back. He is less effective in
:36:20. > :36:25.his box. With his back to the ropes. Lovely left leg, right hand. In and
:36:26. > :36:29.out, scoring shots and then the way from the danger area. Again,
:36:30. > :36:34.Frampton had the better of that exchange. This is a big round. And
:36:35. > :36:36.these last 45 seconds are key to the outcome. Left hook, back from Santa
:36:37. > :36:51.Cruz. Santa Cruz is showing why he has
:36:52. > :36:57.been and is an outstanding champion. It did look at one point like he was
:36:58. > :37:02.going to be very much a Frampton fight but Santa Cruz has find their
:37:03. > :37:08.way to claw his way back. That was a good left hook from Frampton. Again,
:37:09. > :37:13.another of those little quality over quantity runs. The busier Santa Cruz
:37:14. > :37:20.against the quality shots of Frampton. The left hand from Santa
:37:21. > :37:25.Cruz just before that. That was close, difficult to score. I just
:37:26. > :37:32.fancied Frampton. The better exchanges in the pocket, throwing
:37:33. > :37:38.punches. It is one in which I would put a question over the side of
:37:39. > :37:42.this, it could go easily the... I almost said the wrong way! I must
:37:43. > :37:49.maintain some semblance of impartiality! The right uppercut.
:37:50. > :37:54.That was an important shot for Carl Frampton. Santa Cruz shrugging this
:37:55. > :38:01.off, he keeps working away. Lovely jab. But that was a better right
:38:02. > :38:09.hand from Frampton. You have got this 5-3, Frampton. It could be the
:38:10. > :38:16.other way, who knows? Quality fight. Gripping fight as we move into the
:38:17. > :38:22.last four arrives. Round 9. It is hard as well, fast pace. Not frantic
:38:23. > :38:25.but fast. It is hard and it will be important in this final stretch for
:38:26. > :38:30.Frampton, to keep that energy and the sharpness in his punches because
:38:31. > :38:34.you know that Santa Cruz will not well. It could become torrid for
:38:35. > :38:42.both men. Fitness as well as boxing ability. He has been really sharp
:38:43. > :38:48.tonight, Carl Frampton, brilliant. He is the one who is going to tell
:38:49. > :38:58.right more than Santa Cruz. He needs to land the big shots. Right and
:38:59. > :39:05.left hand from Frampton. He makes Santa Cruz mess by distance with his
:39:06. > :39:10.attempt at attack. He has slowed the pace down of Santa Cruz, still it is
:39:11. > :39:19.a high pace but not the usual relentless pace.
:39:20. > :39:30.How will the judges make this? If it goes the distance? Trying to get the
:39:31. > :39:35.right hand into play. That nice, long right hand. Again, just
:39:36. > :39:40.missing. There is a sense of desperation about the work of Santa
:39:41. > :39:45.Cruz. He has clearly been given the riot act by his corner, trying to
:39:46. > :39:53.get onto the front foot and be the macho man. Again, he is being
:39:54. > :39:58.outboxed. He was caught on the way end by Frampton. Nice little one,
:39:59. > :40:07.two. The right hand comes down and he keeps that nice and low. That jab
:40:08. > :40:11.from Santa Cruz. It has not been the key factor that we thought it would
:40:12. > :40:22.be. Frampton has find a way of me getting that reach advantage. --
:40:23. > :40:28.negating. It looks like Frampton has got his second wind. Lovely right
:40:29. > :40:33.hand from Santa Cruz. Santa Cruz responding to a few chances --
:40:34. > :40:44.chanting from his own supporters and a very big attack from the Mexican.
:40:45. > :40:50.Missing with everything after that big right hand. The perception is
:40:51. > :40:57.that Santa Cruz was the aggressor, there. From a different angle, for
:40:58. > :41:06.the judges, it does look like Santa Cruz is putting Frampton under
:41:07. > :41:12.pressure and having some success. The last few seconds of the round
:41:13. > :41:16.where Frampton landed some quality shots but the perception that he was
:41:17. > :41:20.perhaps being outworked and maybe the round slips away? Buffer me,
:41:21. > :41:24.Santa Cruz was busier but earlier in the round, I think the better
:41:25. > :41:32.quality was Frampton. It was what I liked. We will see what the replay
:41:33. > :41:39.boys have picked out... There we go. Pretty handy left hook. I think
:41:40. > :41:46.Santa Cruz finished strongly. The best punch of the round. That one.
:41:47. > :41:50.Brilliant shot. Because he has punched through, he lacks that snap
:41:51. > :42:09.and that is why he was not bothered bout. Into the body, mix it up.
:42:10. > :42:13.Right and left. Barry has got this 6-3 for Frampton. At least three of
:42:14. > :42:19.those have been very close and could have gone the other way. Round 10. I
:42:20. > :42:29.have two rounds that could easily have gone with Santa Cruz. They are
:42:30. > :42:32.all tied. -- tight. Three rounds, quite conceivably these are the
:42:33. > :42:37.three that will decide the outcome. This will be the time for Santa
:42:38. > :42:41.Cruz, his time to be the one that he knows he always will raise his
:42:42. > :42:45.workrate. Sometimes when you box with a frantic pace, and somebody
:42:46. > :42:49.slows you down, because you through less punches you have more energy
:42:50. > :42:53.but the fact you're boxing at somebody else's pace, that can take
:42:54. > :42:54.energy away and I think Frampton has done that a little bit with Santa
:42:55. > :43:06.Cruz. If you're not enjoying this fight, I
:43:07. > :43:13.don't think you get boxing. Good quality, good action to the tempo as
:43:14. > :43:18.well. And the whole of Ireland is hoping Frampton can carry out what
:43:19. > :43:28.he is threatening to do with an inspired display here so far, but is
:43:29. > :43:34.it enough? Just a few seconds ago, Frampton dipped his legs and went
:43:35. > :43:44.low. Well timed from the Mexico. The Irish fans are making themselves
:43:45. > :43:47.heard now. Jumping into the punches, some scrappy work there from
:43:48. > :43:54.Frampton. It is almost as though this is at the Odyssey Arena, Lee
:43:55. > :44:02.Selby among those watching at ringside, the IBF champion and Carl
:44:03. > :44:07.Frampton has spoken for fighting for another five years and having his
:44:08. > :44:16.dream fight at Windsor Park, and Selby could be the man if Frampton
:44:17. > :44:23.can prevail. A good round here for Santa Cruz so far. The last minute
:44:24. > :44:30.is where the judges I can be caught. It's the last round, because Santa
:44:31. > :44:34.Cruz finished the stronger... Frampton has to absorb another right
:44:35. > :44:41.hand. Hasn't done a lot in this round so far. When he is attacking,
:44:42. > :44:47.he's jumping in front to far out and getting caught on the fraud.
:44:48. > :44:52.Terrific energy of Santa Cruz showing here and those swings from
:44:53. > :44:57.Frampton just a little bit wild and straighter punches of Santa Cruz are
:44:58. > :45:03.swinging this one. It has been a good round for Santa Cruz. Nice
:45:04. > :45:08.defence, caught Frampton coming forward, pushing him back. Good
:45:09. > :45:15.round for the champion, and Leo Santa Cruz, if those tight rounds
:45:16. > :45:18.had gone his way, that could be the round to push them towards the
:45:19. > :45:24.finishing line or maybe narrowing the gap. I think he has narrowed the
:45:25. > :45:32.gap that Carl Frampton is still ahead, to round to go, this is where
:45:33. > :45:38.we know he has to finish these last few round strong, this is where
:45:39. > :45:43.Frampton has to dig deep and try to finish this fight with a flurry. You
:45:44. > :45:53.have it now 6-4 in Frampton's favour. Who've seen some big, heavy
:45:54. > :46:01.shots. Nearly got a majority decision when he beat Abner Mares. A
:46:02. > :46:05.lot more emphatically, the counter judge scored at level. It could now
:46:06. > :46:22.all come down to the last two rounds. Right hand from Frampton and
:46:23. > :46:27.another one. Santa Cruz trying to get onto the front foot and both of
:46:28. > :46:33.them trying to throw in body shots, bringing the reminder from the
:46:34. > :46:38.referee. A good start to the round from Frampton, Santa Cruz busier but
:46:39. > :46:44.a little scrappy. Good right hand, Santa Cruz, and that stopped
:46:45. > :46:50.Frampton in his tracks and now he has had to dig in to get in close.
:46:51. > :46:57.Hard shots to take this late in the fight. Santa Cruz trying to bully
:46:58. > :47:02.Frampton, Frampton having none of it, fighting fire with fire. Best
:47:03. > :47:09.punch of the round, that right hook to the head that Santa Cruz through.
:47:10. > :47:14.That has drained the energy from Frampton, you can see it in his
:47:15. > :47:24.body. And he absorbs another right hand. Nice tight defence, nice and
:47:25. > :47:33.loose with the punches. Good uppercut there from Carl Frampton.
:47:34. > :47:42.He is being at work here. -- outworked. A good right-hander from
:47:43. > :47:49.Santa Cruz. He is tireless, he just keeps on. He dipped those legs and
:47:50. > :47:57.dipped that body shot with the right hand.
:47:58. > :48:07.Nice right hand to the body from Frampton. There is no discernible
:48:08. > :48:14.effect on Santa Cruz. Well timed there from Santa Cruz with that jab.
:48:15. > :48:22.And another big right from Santa Cruz, rocks Frampton on to his
:48:23. > :48:27.heels. Left hook this time and Frampton's defence is looking more
:48:28. > :48:36.porous. He's tired now, getting sloppy with his work, good left hook
:48:37. > :48:42.that it has taken energy out of him. Cannot fault the effort from both,
:48:43. > :48:49.tremendous. I think this is a Santa Cruz round. Yeah, bait. Those right
:48:50. > :48:54.hands have been telling and eye-catching punches in this
:48:55. > :49:04.interlude. It is about staying disciplined now, keep your shape, a
:49:05. > :49:08.clear Santa Cruz round. Frampton raises his arm, he knows he caught
:49:09. > :49:15.on with that right hand in the closing seconds but it was a round
:49:16. > :49:21.in which he was outworked. You have it Frampton by one. It is a
:49:22. > :49:29.fantastic fight, so much quality in their work. Took it well there, Carl
:49:30. > :49:38.Frampton, but it drained all the energy out of him, after that punch
:49:39. > :49:43.he laboured. Last round, you hear the referee saying touch gloves,
:49:44. > :49:51.huge respect between these two for a long time. You look at the other
:49:52. > :49:57.champions out there, Lee Selby, Gary Russell Jr, whatever the outcome of
:49:58. > :50:06.this, plenty will be saying they could see this again. Oscar Valdez
:50:07. > :50:11.is very talented. The last three minutes of a very absorbing fight.
:50:12. > :50:20.Santa Cruz you can guarantee will not stop throwing leather in this
:50:21. > :50:24.round. Frampton has to bout down on that gumshield, he will be busy,
:50:25. > :50:35.keep the concentration levels as high as he can. Good effort there
:50:36. > :50:47.from Frampton again. Right hand there from Santa Cruz. What a vivid
:50:48. > :50:51.picture of two real fighting men. The fight could still be on a knife
:50:52. > :51:03.edge. Good right-hander from Santa Cruz. Solid body shot from Frampton,
:51:04. > :51:07.he gets the better of that exchange. It's important for Frampton not to
:51:08. > :51:14.throw his punches and stand in front of Santa Cruz, throw them and move.
:51:15. > :51:20.Good from Santa Cruz there. And beats him to the punch with the jab,
:51:21. > :51:27.the lateral movement that has served Frampton well in the early stages
:51:28. > :51:33.isn't quite there now. Got to get that long right hand into play,
:51:34. > :51:43.Santa Cruz. A decent long left hand and another one from Frampton. The
:51:44. > :51:47.Irish fans again on their feet. Coming up towards the last minute,
:51:48. > :51:53.the time when we see how much you want it. They have to lay everything
:51:54. > :52:06.on the line now and they are doing so. This is great, the last round,
:52:07. > :52:12.look at this. Irish fans in full voice as Frampton tries to finish
:52:13. > :52:19.with a big attack. A good right hand as well there, Carl Frampton. Again
:52:20. > :52:24.I think Santa Cruz has been the busier, probably the better shots
:52:25. > :52:31.from Carl Frampton. Frampton looking for the huge right hand, fainting to
:52:32. > :52:37.throw it, can he deliver? Stifles Santa Cruz and dances away. Makes
:52:38. > :52:43.Santa Cruz missed again with those wild swings. Santa Cruz coming pod,
:52:44. > :52:52.it gives the impression he's having the better of this round. Needs a
:52:53. > :52:57.strong finish now. Has he done enough to win this last round,
:52:58. > :53:03.Frampton? Two big right hand from Santa Cruz, the two of them waving
:53:04. > :53:09.away up to the final bell. Both of them celebrate. The crowd have been
:53:10. > :53:15.treated to something special. The fighters know it, too proud
:53:16. > :53:20.champions and for both of them that has been the hardest fight of their
:53:21. > :53:28.career. Has Frampton done enough or will it be Santa Cruz? How did you
:53:29. > :53:35.score the last round? It could be even but I just favoured Santa Cruz
:53:36. > :53:43.as busier. So you have a draw. It was fantastic and whatever the
:53:44. > :53:53.result of Frampton was excellent. All Barry McGuigan can do is hope
:53:54. > :53:59.and think and maybe even pray. Has Carl Frampton done enough? Ladies
:54:00. > :54:07.and gentlemen, after 12 rounds of action we give to the scorecards.
:54:08. > :54:19.Judge at ringside scores the boat, 114 - 114, a draw. Overruled by
:54:20. > :54:28.Judges Frank Lombardi, scoring the fight 116-112 and Tom Schreck 's,
:54:29. > :54:38.117 - 111, in favour of the winner by majority decision, and the new
:54:39. > :54:51.WBA reigning champion of the world, the Irish Champion, The Jackal,
:54:52. > :54:57.Frampton! A majority decision, margins of four rounds and six
:54:58. > :55:04.rounds, six rounds I have to say I find a big margin -- margin but Carl
:55:05. > :55:09.Frampton has the proudest moment of his career and it is a night of
:55:10. > :55:16.sensational Irish celebration in New York. He said he was fighting for
:55:17. > :55:27.his legacy, tonight he has produced the performance he dreams of.
:55:28. > :55:36.I don't know if it has sunk in yet. I will probably feel better when I
:55:37. > :55:42.get home but at this point I just feel tired but it's a nice feeling.
:55:43. > :55:46.What was the key to the wind? Distance control and hitting him
:55:47. > :55:51.hard and letting him know I could punch hard, I think I hurt in the
:55:52. > :55:56.second round, gave him respect and that was the plan, we spoke about
:55:57. > :56:02.it, Shane and I, we all knew it would be tough. This is the fight of
:56:03. > :56:09.the year and if they get a better one than that I would be surprised.
:56:10. > :56:15.He is unified the divisions and won the WBA, my old title 30 years ago
:56:16. > :56:20.and he has definitely put his foot into the Hall of Fame and I
:56:21. > :56:26.guarantee you that he will be in the Hall of Fame six years after he
:56:27. > :56:30.retires because of that performance tonight and I believe he has another
:56:31. > :56:39.two years of world-class fighting to win more titles. Carl Frampton is my
:56:40. > :56:46.first ever fighter, I wouldn't have the guys like David Hayes and George
:56:47. > :56:51.Kruis knocking at my door if it was not for him. We are a good
:56:52. > :56:56.combination when we are together, we respect each other, we know what he
:56:57. > :57:00.does and I can keep him on the straight and narrow and we have
:57:01. > :57:07.grown so much together and now he has shown his skill tonight, the sky
:57:08. > :57:14.is the limit for all these guys, we are all developing in the gym, no
:57:15. > :57:21.egos, just enjoying what we do. I've never been as nervous at a sporting
:57:22. > :57:25.event, whether the Ryder Cup or myself or watching Northern Ireland,
:57:26. > :57:30.when you were there and I don't think there is any better show in
:57:31. > :57:35.sport than boxing, especially when two good fighters are going to to
:57:36. > :57:41.town like that, so there was a lot going on but this month that the win
:57:42. > :57:48.in the end. You are proud of where you are from, how good an ambassador
:57:49. > :57:52.is he? Unbelievable, the whole community has got behind him and I
:57:53. > :57:57.think sport brings people together it's not like one side or another,
:57:58. > :58:02.everyone is behind him, it doesn't matter where you are from, if you're
:58:03. > :58:07.from Northern Ireland to you support your own and he's a fantastic
:58:08. > :58:16.ambassador and role model and a loyal family man, which is great to
:58:17. > :58:21.see. I'm in the driving seat now, I can get big fights and it will
:58:22. > :58:26.change my life and my family's life and I'm looking forward to the
:58:27. > :58:33.right. I'm approaching 30 but I feel like they can still get better and
:58:34. > :58:37.there is plenty more to come. People paid a lot of money to come out and
:58:38. > :58:46.support me and it would be nice to have a couple of pints and maybe get
:58:47. > :58:51.a few pictures. The victory has turned Carl Frampton into one of the
:58:52. > :58:57.biggest names in boxing. This week he is enjoying some well-deserved
:58:58. > :59:01.time of with his family in Spain ahead of the wedding of his trainer
:59:02. > :59:07.Shea McGuigan in Majorca but he will be back in action soon, purring for
:59:08. > :59:12.the new defence of his title, and that fight will take place before
:59:13. > :59:14.the end of the year as he continues a remarkable boxing journey that
:59:15. > :59:20.began here in North Belfast.