LEO SANTA CRUZ is basking in the afterglow of an impressive victory over Abner Mares after moving up to featherweight. The Mexican star – in Las Vegas to watch Floyd Mayweather-Andre Berto – is now hoping to unify the titles in his new weight class, and has targeted showdowns with IBF champion Lee Selby, and WBO boss Vasyl Lomachenko.
“Selby is a great fighter,” Santa Cruz told Boxing News. “I’m really open to fighting him. He’s a champion I want to dethrone in a unification fight. It would be a great fight.”
The Welshman makes his American debut on October 14 against seasoned Fernando Montiel. Santa Cruz will be watching closely.
“I think he’s will prove a lot by beating Montiel who is a great fighter, a come forward fighter. He [Selby] can then move on to bigger fights.”
Carl Frampton – currently IBF super-bantamweight king – is another star who Santa Cruz wants to fight – if and when the Irishman moves up in weight. But the fighter that excites Santa Cruz the most is formidable Ukrainian Vasyl Lomachenko – widely regarded as the best featherweight in the world.
“Frampton doesn’t have the height [to move up in weight], he’s quite short but he’s very strong,” said Santa Cruz before talking moving on to the subject of Lomachenko.
“A fight against him is something we have thought about and we have already studied him,” the Mexican said. “I think he is open to the fight too.”
