Leo Santa Cruz threw over 1,000 punches on Saturday night but his volume was not enough to earn him the nod on the judges’ scorecards over Carl Frampton.
Frampton was awarded a majority decision victory over his Mexican opponent and became a two-weight world champion after triumphing in his first trip to featherweight.
Two judges gave ‘The Jackal’ four of the first five rounds and Santa Cruz just couldn’t claw back the deficit.
Many spectators, including one judge, scored the bout a draw such was the closeness of the contest and Santa Cruz’s father, Jose, insists that his son did not lose the tilt.
“I’m telling you, I did not see my son lose,” Santa Cruz told ESPN Deportes. “If I had seen him lose I would say so, that’s why we want the rematch.
“I saw that Leo didn’t fight his best and didn’t use the defence he needed. His punches and his movement were a bit slow. I sent him out to box and he wanted to beat him up, but in the end he had to be a bit more solid.
“Many people have said they saw Leo win. I think the judges there just have rewarded the more offensive fighter. If Frampton connected with two then my son hit him with three. Many of Frampton’s punches didn’t connect, although I accept that the ones that did were hard.
“I think that if we get the rematch – and we are going to ask for it – I will tell my son he needs to train harder. I don’t like to make excuses, maybe they did beat us, but I am sure that Leo will win the title back.”
Frampton’s camp has claimed that there was no rematch clause in the contract but that’s not believed to be the case and the Santa Cruz team wants the chance to reclaim the belt that now resides in Belfast.
“My son spoke to Mr Al Haymon at the end of the fight and he said that there is a rematch clause,” Santa Cruz added. “If that’s the case then of course we want a direct rematch, but now it could be in Los Angeles or in Las Vegas in around three months’ time, in November.”
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