Leo Santa Cruz calls out Mark Magsayo for featherweight unification clash

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

World Boxing Association (WBA) featherweight champion Leo Santa Cruz is back on track and earned a win against the surging Keenan Carbajal during the co-main event of the Keith Thurman-Mario Barrios fight.

As a part of his plan moving forward, the four-division world champion expressed his willingness to fight the current World Boxing Council (WBC) featherweight king Mark Magsayo who just pulled off one of the greatest upsets in boxing when he dethroned Gary Russell Jr. last month.

Magsayo immediately turned heads after a masterful performance against Russell Jr. who has held the WBC featherweight belt for seven long years.

For Santa Cruz’s camp, another Mexican-Filipino rivalry is business as usual in boxing just like in Manny Pacquiao’s era when he fought all of Mexico’s distinguished fighters: Marco Antonio Barrera, Juan Manuel Marquez, Erik Morales, and Hector Velasquez.

However, Magsayo and his camp will still have to focus on his first title defense when he squares off against the former WBC super-bantamweight champion Rey Vargas.

If Magsayo will be able to defend his WBC featherweight title against Vargas, then the Santa Cruz fight might be inserted into the picture.

“I wanted to fight Gary Russell, the fight never happened. But I think Magsayo is a good fighter, strong fighter and I think a fight against him would be really great” said Santa Cruz.

The established Mexican fighter clinched his first win after getting knocked out cold in a previous fight by current lightweight champion Gervonta “Tank” Davis last October 2020.