With over a week away from his next task WBA featherweight super champion and two-division world champion Leo “El Terremoto” Santa Cruz (31-0-1, 17 KOs) of Lincoln Heights by way of Huetamo, Michoacan, Mexico, held a media workout at the Whos Next Boxing Academy in Industry, California for his upcoming fight against former world champion Kiko Martinez (34-6, 25 KOs) of Spain next Saturday February 27 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California live on Showtime.
"I am ready for this fight, we are a week away. I cant wait, we will put up a great fight" Santa Cruz told Southern California Boxing.com
Already in the final phases of his camp Santa Cruz looked sharp under the watchful eyes his father/trainer Jose Santa Cruz as Mexican singer Martin Castillo and his Banda (band) played.
"Right now we are working a lot on the outside because he is shorter and aggressive. Sparring has been great I have been going twelve rounds already, my conditioning is good we are ready for the 27th," Santa Cruz said. " My dad is always pushing me to work hard. If I am not doing something good, he yells at me but it's for my own good. We get mad one day but the next day we forget about it," Santa Cruz added.
"I see him ready, he is working hard and very motivated," Mr. Santa Cruz said. "He knows this is not an easy fight because he has a tough opponent," Mr. Santa Cruz added.
Santa Cruz won a unanimous decision over former world champion Abner Mares in his last fight this past summer at the Staples Center in what was billed as “The Battle of L.A.”as he is coming off the biggest win of his career. Now he sets his sights on the former world champion Martinez.
"I worked hard for that fight my plan was to trade punches with him. We decided to box and move to win the fight and thank god it came out good and got the victory," Santa Cruz said. "A lot of fans were happy with that fight and if they want to see it again I would give him a rematch,"
Martinez is riding a three fight win streak as he is coming off a TKO over Miguel Gonzalez in his native Spain.
"He is a strong, tough, fighter that comes forward aggressively. I know he will be very motivated and focused for this fight because it's possibly his last opportunity at a title shot," Santa Cruz said. "We want him to come forward to make a better fight, that's what the fans want," Santa added.
"Martinez is a strong fighter that comes forward with big shots. He has a punchers chance but we are ready for him," Mr. Santa Cruz said.
A win over Martinez look for Santa Cruz to call out the winner of the Carl Frampton vs. Scott Quigg showdown taking place earlier that day in England. We asked Santa Cruz and he gave us his thoughts on Frampton vs. Quigg.
"I will be watching that fight. Those are possible opponents and I would like to face the winner of that fight because they have been talking a lot that this will be their last fight at 122 and move up to 126. The truth I lean more towards Frampton but that fight is 50-50, it can go either way," Santa Cruz added. "If it was up to me, I would fight anybody, whoever the fans want me to fight. I want to unify at 126 and take on Selby, Russell, and whoever there is," Santa Cruz added.
Santa Cruz vs. Martinez will be a scheduled 12 round featherweight bout.
"You are in for a war. I think we will trade punches in the middle of the ring because he is a fighter that never backs down. I will make it a war but if that is not working we are going to box him," Santa Cruz concluded.
"Leo will fight a very smart fight. We have what it takes to beat him smart, as well as beat him the way the fans like to see fights. You will see that Leo is capable of anything in that ring," Mr Santa Cruz vowed.
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