Boxing needed something special from featherweights Carl The Jackal Frampton and Leo El Terremoto Santa Cruz last Saturday. Something to make up for Terence Crawfords comprehensive but less-than-dazzling unanimous decision over Viktor Postol the previous week and Deontay Wilders mismatch with Chris Arreola the week before that.Boxing needed a fight like Keith Thurmans bitterly contested decision over Shawn Porter on June 23, an intense struggle in which two world-class welterweights gambled everything in an all-out bid for glory.Not every fight can be a classic, but to bring the masses back into the fold, the sport requires as many reminders as possible of just how great boxing can be.Frampton and Santa Cruz gave us all that and more. They gave us one of those magic moments boxing fans live for, the kind that makes following this perpetually troubled sport worthwhile.You wont see athletes in any other sport do what Frampton and Santa Cruz did. They entered territory where only heroes dare to tread. It was special in a way unique to boxing.1. At its best, boxing is still sports greatest spectacleThere comes a time in almost all great fights when the boxers seem to become caught up in something bigger than themselves. Its as if theyve been carried away by the frenzy of excitement and pushed beyond the bounds of normal human endurance.Frampton and Santa Cruz charged into that unforgiving realm in the second round and never looked back. They went at each other in a series of breathtaking attacks and counterattacks, round after round, flurry after flurry. Just when it looked like one of them was taking control, the other rallied back.The exchanges were awe-inspiring and virtually ceaseless, right up until the closing seconds when Frampton and Santa Cruz tore into one another a final time with an abandon bordering on desperation.The 9,062 fans in attendance inside Brooklyns Barclays Center cheered themselves hoarse, leaped to their feet on numerous occasions and gave the fighters a standing ovation before the start of the 12th round and again at the final bell.It was boxing the way its supposed to be: a raw display of humanitys indomitable spirit and will to win.2. Frampton is better than a lot of people thoughtIts easy to understand why Santa Cruz was favored, at least on this side of the Atlantic. He was an undefeated veteran with 11 title-fight victories to his credit, an aggressive volume puncher who could be relied on to attack.Frampton, on the other hand, had looked a bit vulnerable in his two previous bouts, getting knocked down twice by Alejandro Gonzalez Jr. and playing it a little too safe against Scott Quigg. To be fair, he won both of those fights, but he failed to impress the American audience.Against Santa Cruz, on the biggest night of his career, the Belfast man was better than hed ever been before.Maybe moving up from junior featherweight to featherweight had something to do with it. After all, Frampton said that making 122 pounds was killing him. Then theres Santa Cruzs walk-in style, which makes him a relatively easy target. Who knows? Perhaps the enormity of the occasion helped pushed him to a different level.Whatever the reason, this time, when he needed it the most, Frampton actually fought like a jackal.3. Quality over quantity was the deciderAccording to CompuBox, Santa Cruz connected with 255 punches to Framptons 242. Even so, most observers agreed that Frampton deserved a close decision. That he hit harder than Santa Cruz became clear in the second round when he staggered Santa Cruz with a left hook.There were times when the sheer volume of Santa Cruzs output looked like it might be enough to sweep him to victory. But as Larry Merchant used to preach, punch stats are quantitative, not qualitative. When you get right down to it, it was the superiority of Framptons punches that made the difference.4. Frampton has plenty of optionsTalk of a rematch began as soon Framptons arm was raised, which is understandable considering how wildly entertaining and well-fought the first fight was.Moreover, according to Santa Cruzs camp, hes contractually guaranteed a return bout. It might not be Framptons next defense, but unless either of them loses in the interim, Frampton-Santa Cruz II should eventually happen.Frampton has a few attractive matches back home in the U.K., including Wales Lee Selby, who also owns a featherweight title, and Quigg, who would gladly move up four pounds from junior featherweight to get another crack at the only man who beat him.Other highly capable contenders, including American Gary Russell (who also owns a piece of the featherweight title), undefeated Mexican knockout artist Oscar Valdez and Argentine slugger Jesus Cuellar, would all fit well with Frampton.5. The McGuigan factorThe image of former featherweight titleholder Barry McGuigan with his head bent in prayer between the end of the fight and the announcement of the decision was remarkable -- a famous man having a private moment in a very public setting.McGuigan remains a popular public personality in the U.K., where his sharp mind and magnetic personality serve him well. Hes never strayed far from boxing, but managing Frampton has put The Clones Cyclone back on the international stage.McGuigan is still spry and bright-eyed, enjoying his new role and the success of his son, Shane, who trains Frampton. You get the feeling hed fight just as hard for his fighters as he once did for himself and Ireland.David Montgomery Jersey . Louis Cardinals. Victorino is batting sixth and playing right field after missing two games because of back tightness. Roquan Smith Womens Jersey . Walcott is available for Saturdays home match against Southampton as Arsenal looks to extend its two-point lead at the top of the Premier League. The Gunners are currently the second highest scorers in the league but Wenger insists Walcott will add something extra to his team. http://www.bearsrookiestore.com/Bears-Anthony-Miller-Jersey/ . Capitals head coach Adam Oates said Ovechkin was injured in the first period against the Vancouver Canucks on Monday and clarified it was not a head injury. Brian Urlacher Youth Jersey . Jane Virtanen scored two, and Alex Roach and Elliott Peterson rounded out the offence for the Hitmen (40-15-6). Brady Brassart chipped in with three assists. Colton McCarthy scored twice, Brayden Point had a goal and two assists, and Jack Rodewald also scored for the Warriors (15-35-9), who were 2 for 5 on the power play. Dick Butkus Womens Jersey .500 on the season. The Jets are now 0-5-1 in the second game of back-to-backs. The game started the same way the Vancouver game started the night before, with the Jets taking the first two penalties of the game and killing off the first, but the Oilers getting on the board first, scoring on the second man-advantage.SEATTLE -- Brock Holt made sure an outstanding effort by the Red Sox bullpen did not go to waste.Holts RBI single in the 11th inning lifted Boston past the Seattle Mariners 3-2 on Thursday night, a victory made possible by five scoreless innings by Red Sox relievers.Travis Shaw, who had a solo homer in the second, opened the 11th against Cody Martin (1-2) with an opposite-field single to left against the shift. Sandy Leon sacrificed Shaw to second and Holt then bounced a single up the middle off the glove of diving shortstop Sean OMalley.We were grinding through that game and to get the one run was big, Holt said. Travis with a big at-bat to lead things off there and then Sandy laid down a perfect bunt, so good team baseball in the last inning for us.OMalley, playing short with regular Ketel Marte sidelined with mononucleosis, said he should have at least kept the ball from getting through.I thought I should have had it, OMalley said. It was a tough play. The ball came up and made a little funny hop. But, I got a glove on it. Worst case, I just wanted to keep that in the infield. Unfortunately, it scooted into center and it ended up being the difference.Craig Kimbrel (2-3) retired all four batters he faced -- including striking out the side in the 10th -- for the victory. Brad Ziegler pitched the 11th for his third save, stranding the tying run at third.Guys came in and did an outstanding job, Boston manager John Farrell said. We didnt have the greatest matchups at the end, with Brad and the number of left-handers that were coming to the plate, but still he found a way to use his changeup and his off-speed pitches effectively.The Mariners put two runners aboard in the ninth against Fernando Abad when Farrell opted for Kimbrel to face Robinson Cano, who hit a game-deciding three-run homer off Abad on Tuesday.I felt like were in the fifth hitter of the inning and their best hitter is coming up, Farrell said. Felt like it was an opportunity for us to go to our most powerful reliever with the highest strikeout ratio there. Didnt think hed get out of it with just two pitches and a ground ball, but it worked out well.Seattle tied it with two runs in the fifth inning. OMalley hit the first pitch into the left-field seats for his first homer of the season and second of his career. Guillermo Heredia followed with a bunt single and advanced to third on consecutive ground outs. After Nelson Cruz was walked intentionally, Dae-Ho Lee blooped an RBI single into shallow right-center.Shaw opened the second with his 13th homer, driving a 2-0 pitch overr the right-field wall to put Boston up 1-0.ddddddddddddThe Red Sox made it 2-0 in the fifth when Bryce Brentz and Mookie Betts opened the inning with consecutive doubles.Seattle starter Ariel Miranda, acquired from Baltimore on July 31 for left-hander Wade Miley, allowed two runs and eight hits in six innings in his major league debut after being called up earlier in the day from Triple-A Tacoma.The Red Sox loaded the bases with one out in the first on singles by Xavier Bogaerts and David Ortiz and a walk to Dustin Pedroia, but Miranda escaped by striking out Jackie Bradley Jr. and getting Aaron Hill on a fly out to right.Seattle loaded the bases in the fourth on three walks by Drew Pomerantz, but Leonys Martin bounced to first to end the inning. Pomerantz, yet to win in four starts since being acquired from San Diego, allowed just two runs on four hits, but issued a career-high six walks.CUBAN TRIOMiranda was one of three Cuban-born players in the Mariners starting lineup, along with Heredia and Leonys Martin. The Mariners said it was the first time an American League team started a Cuban-born pitcher and two Cuban-born position players in the same game since Minnesota on Sept. 27, 1970, when Luis Tiant pitched with position players Tony Oliva and Leo Cardenas.TRAINERS ROOMRed Sox: 1B Hanley Ramirez, who injured his left wrist in a dugout stumble following Tuesdays game at Seattle, was scheduled to swing a bat on Thursday. Optimistically, hopefully hed be available on the weekend when we get down to L.A. against the Dodgers, manager John Farrell said.Mariners: RHP Steve Cishek, who recently lost his closer role, was placed on the 15-day DL (retroactive to Aug. 2) with a left hip labrum tear, an injury that is not expected to require surgery. Im very hopeful that hes back in our bullpen in 15 days, manager Scott Servais said. ... RHP Taijuan Walker, on the DL since July 6 with right foot tendinitis is expected to start Saturday against the Angels.UP NEXTRed Sox: Knuckleballer Steven Wright (12-5, 3.20) gets the start Friday when Boston opens a three-game road series against the Dodgers. Wright was 4-0 in six starts in July, but had a 6.23 ERA in 34 2/3 innings over that span.Mariners: RHP Felix Hernandez (5-4, 3.46 ERA) opens the three-game series against the Angels on Friday, the middle set of a three-series, 10-game homestand. Is 1-0 with a 5.60 ERA in three starts since coming off DL (right calf strain). ' ' '
