Santa Cruz ‘positive’ Frampton trilogy will happen

Mexican boxer Léo Santa Cruz has said he wants a trilogy fight against Belfast’s Carl Frampton and is “positive” it will happen in 2019.

The pair have met twice previously, with Frampton taking victory in their first clash in Brooklyn, New York in July 2016.

However, Santa Cruz dealt the Tiger’s Bay man his toughest blow in their rematch in Las Vegas in January 2017 – taking the win by majority decision.

That marked Frampton’s first and only defeat as a professional and something he has been determined to bounce back from.

Since then, he has surrounded himself with a new team and looked sharper than ever when he beat Australian Luke Jackson just weeks ago.

Frampton has long since expressed his desire to round out the trilogy with Santa Cruz – and now the Mexican has given his clearest indication that he feels the same way.

In an interview with FightHype, Santa Cruz said: “If I win my next fight, I want to fight Carl Frampton - people want that fight, I want that fight.

“I want to make the third fight against him – he wants the third fight too.

“I’m positive it’s going to happen next year.”