The talking, not that there was much of it, is over.
Tomorrow night in Brooklyn, NY, Belfast's Carl 'The Jackal' Frampton aims to become just the second ever Irish two-weight world champion (after Steve Collins) when he trades leather with Mexican-American Leo 'El Terremoto' Santa Cruz for the WBA World featherweight championship.
The 29-year-old Tiger's Bay native was in bullish form as he took to the scales, coming in at 125-and-a-quarter pounds, 0.75lbs below the limit. His fans, as expected, raised the roof as they belted out adopted Frampton anthem Sweet Caroline, with the former unified super-bantamweight champ briefly joining his legion of followers in a raucous rendition from atop the scales.
Champion Santa Cruz - the heavy bookies' favourite - came in half a pound heavier than his shorter opponent, but was greeted with a chorus of boos 3,100 miles west of Frampton's homeland. He also responded to typical taunts of 'Who are ya?' - presumably while tempted to respond 'an undefeated, three-weight champion of the world'. Not that Frampton's green army would have heard him.
Premier Boxing Champions broadcast the weigh-in live on their Facebook page ahead of tomorrow's clash, which will be broadcast live on BoxNation on this side of the pond along with Showtime in the States. Skip to 18:30 in the following video:
Frampton looks big ahead of his 126lb debut. Tomorrow night will be the first time since an incredible National Senior final vs upcoming Olympian David Oliver Joyce that 'The Jackal' enters a contest as an underdog. He's expected in the ring at 4:15am Irish time.
Somebody's 'O' has got to go.
It's not all about beating the shite out of each other, of course...
