SHO Acquires Frampton-Quigg; Announces Santa Cruz-Martínez

Showtime® to televise Carl Frampton-Scott Quigg

122-pound world title unification bout on saturday, feb. 27, from Manchester, England

Showtime Boxing nternational® Live From Manchester, England

Encore Presentation Later That Evening

Following Showtime Championship Boxing® Santa Cruz vs. Martínez

Frampton vs Quigg

NEW YORK – SHOWTIME® will televise the eagerly anticipated 122-pound world title unification showdown between undefeated super bantamweight world champions Carl Frampton (IBF) and Scott Quigg (WBA), on Saturday, Feb. 27, live on SHOWTIME from Manchester Arena in Manchester, England.

The SHOWTIME BOXING INTERNATIONAL telecast will air live (precise time to be announced) with an encore presentation later that evening immediately following SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast featuring the featherweight world championship main event pitting Leo Santa Cruz against Kiko Martínez.

Frampton (21-0, 14 KOs), of Belfast, Northern Ireland, won the IBF Super Bantamweight World Championship with a unanimous decision over Kiko Martinez in 2014. The 28-year-old, who is promoted by International Boxing Hall of Famer Barry McGuigan, made two successful defenses of the title in 2015 – a fifth-round knockout of Chris Avalos last February in England and a 12-round unanimous decision over Alejandro Gonzalez Jr., on PBC on CBS last July.  An accomplished amateur, Frampton won Irish national championships in 2005 and 2009, plus a European Union Juniors silver medal in 2007.

The undefeated Quigg (32-0-2, 23 KOs), of Lancashire, United Kingdom, has been a staple at 122 pounds since 2012. He won the Interim WBA Super Bantamweight Title in a rematch against Rendall Munroe in 2012 before being named the full champion in October 2013.  Quigg has made six defenses of the title, including three by knockout inside of four rounds.  The 27-year-old floored Kiko Martinez twice en route to a second-round TKO last July 18 in Manchester, England, the same day Frampton defeated Gonzalez Jr.  The powerful Quigg has fought just 29 total rounds in his last five fights, but he’ll be facing his toughest test to date in a fellow champion with an unblemished record.

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Leo Santa Cruz

Tonight, on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING (live at 10p ET/7p PT), it will be officially announced that three-division world champion, the undefeated Leo “El Terremoto” Santa Cruz will make the first defense of his WBA featherweight title against 29-year-old former super bantamweight world champion Kiko Martínez on Saturday, Feb. 27, live on SHOWTIME from Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. Additional details about this event, including the official press release are forthcoming.

Kiko Martínez

In addition, SHOWTIME has acquired the U.S. television rights to the Feb. 27 Super Bantamweight World Championship unification bout between IBF champion Carl Frampton and WBA titlist Scott Quigg. That bout will air live on SHOWTIME from Manchester Arena in Manchester, England. The precise telecast time is to be announced