Tag Archives: Crolla

Crolla Bows Out With Controversial Points Win

Posted on 11/02/2019

By: Ste Rowen

Stepping into the ring for the final time as a professional boxer, Manchester’s current favourite boxing son, and former world champion, Anthony Crolla, bowed out of the sport at the same venue he began and the one he won the lightweight world championship in. At the Manchester Arena, ‘Million Dollar’ Crolla took on the inexperienced, Frank Urquiaga, scoring an unjustly wide majority decision over ten rounds.

After an uneventful opening round, the Spaniard seemed to want to out of there as soon as possible as he complained of rabbit punches and then in a strange moment at the end of the second when in a clinch, appeared to throw himself down, much to the annoyance of the crowd. In the third, after throwing some decent body shots, Urquiaga, 13-1-1 (1KO) also landed a left hook below the belt that brought another scrappy round to an end.

But it seemed to bring the fire out of the Spaniard after a slow start as the fight headed past the halfway mark of a scheduled ten-rounds, Crolla stalked and tried to remain on top of his opponent, but Frank was looking more efficient and keeping the Mancunian’s best work at bay. Neither man looked like a legitimate contender but having seen the best version of Crolla, it’s easy to see why this was his final night in the ring. His shots liked the venom and effect they used to, especially considering the standard of opponent picked for his last ever bout.


Photo Credit: Matchroom Boxing Twitter Account

A lack of movement, that has rarely been Anthony’s strong point, was seriously harming his chances of a winning end as the final round began. And more of the same occurred as Urquiaga attempted to pin the Englishman to the ropes. Crolla was struggling to fire off more than single shots now as the clock ticked down on the end of his 45-fight pro career, and then the final bell struck. The two men went the distance and waited for the judge’s scorecards; 95-95, 98-92, 97-93 all for the home-fighter. Last fight or not, those were some truly dreadful scorecards.

‘‘I definitely thought I’d done enough (tonight) but time’s up now. I’ve had a great career, loved every minute of it but it’s time to go now…I enjoyed the fight, but I knew that’s it now. It’s great to go out with a win and there’s no better place to do it than Manchester.
My proudest achievement is this crowd, this support.’’

Crolla, 35-7-3 (13KOs) doesn’t finish his career with a hall of fame worthy resume but he does leave behind a legacy and a lesson in boxing comebacks. His story has been told and retold many times, but any man who can survive a concrete slab to the head and still go on to win a world title and then face likely future hall of famers Jorge Linares (twice) and Vasyl Lomachenko, is good enough to use as inspiration for any sportsman or woman who faces adversity.

Fighting for the first time up at super-lightweight, former undisputed lightweight world champion, Katie Taylor became a two-weight champion with a unanimous decision over the now former WBO super-lightweight champion, Christine Linardatou.

It was an edgy opening through the first few rounds including a moment in the 3rd where it appeared Taylor had knocked down Linardatou, but it was ruled a slip. The Greek national, 12-1 (6KOs) recovered well to put Taylor on the back foot in the immediate round though, without establishing anything solid to really put the fear into her Irish challenger. Christine continued to set the pace as the fight drew into round eight of ten, with Taylor only sparingly throwing counter-shots.

Taylor continued her stick and move tactics for the final two rounds. Linardatou’s aggressiveness was struggling to pay off now and though her energy wasn’t wavering; her accuracy was right until the final bell. The final scorecards came back as, 96-94, 97-93 (x2) all for the new WBO world 140lb and two-weight champion, Katie Taylor.

Now 15-0 (6KOs), Taylor spoke post-fight,

‘‘Making history, breaking boundaries and the best is yet to come.
We knew it was gonna be a tough ten rounds, but I boxed smart for a change instead of getting stuck in a fight…I can’t wait for the rematch with Delfine Persoon and the fight with Amanda Serrano.’’

Felix Cash and Jack Cullen fought out an entertaining brawl that ended with Cash taking a stoppage victory inside eight rounds. Cash, now 12-0 (8KOs) was defending his middleweight Commonwealth belt for the first time and he dropped Cullen once in the 1st and again towards the end of the 7th. However the finisher came in the following round as Felix consistently, sloppily, but those that landed were heavy enough to stop Cullen firing back and force the referee to step in and end the bout.

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ESPN+ Boxing Preview: Lomachenko vs. Crolla, Ramirez vs. Carpency

Posted on 04/11/2019

By: Hans Themistode

Vasiliy Lomachenko, (12-1, 9 KOs) will once again have his skills on full display come Friday night. The unified Lightweight champion will have both his WBA and WBO titles on the line when he takes on former title holder Anthony Crolla (34-6-3, 13 KOs). This isn’t the high profile match fans were expecting to see Lomachenko in but nonetheless it’s what we’re getting.

Since losing back to back bouts against Jorge Linares, Crolla has rebounded nicely with three straight victories. Those wins weren’t just against unknown opponents either. Ricky Burns, Edson Ramirez and Daud Yordan aren’t exactly murderers row but they are more than respectable opposition.

The former WBA belt holder has faced his fair share of great fighters. However, in the case of Lomachenko, he will be facing someone who is unanimously recognized as the best fighter on the planet.

Most have already ruled Crolla out, and with good reason. In just 13 professional fights Lomachenko has plowed through the competition. With two Olympic gold medals, over 390 wins in his amateur days and multiple titles in several divisions, Lomachenko is a talent we have seldom ever seen.

Crolla has heard it all before. He has always been doubted. He was never supposed to box again following his traumatic accident in 2014 where he attempted to stop burglars at a neighbors home. Crolla beat the odds. How about his title challenge against Darleys Perez? He was given no chance, yet he not only won but he stopped the champion in the fifth round. Crolla than went on to defeat Ismael Barroso in his first title defense when yet again many thought he could not get it done.

His matchup against Lomachenko follows the same theme that has followed him his entire career. Doubt him if you want, but he may just beat the odds yet again come Friday night.

In the co main event we have an interesting matchup. Current WBO Super Middleweight champion Gilberto Ramirez, (39-0, 25 KOs) is moving up to Light Heavyweight to take on Tommy Carpency, (29-6-1, 18 KOs).

On paper it is a matchup that Ramirez should dominate. However, with the current champion moving up in weight the added pounds could play a factor in the contest.

Since winning the WBO Super Middleweight title in 2016, Ramirez has had a forgettable reign. Through no fault of his own he has not been able to secure big fights. Although his matchup with Carpency is not considered a significant matchup by any stretch of the imagination, it is a contest where if all goes well, could see Ramirez challenge for a title later this year.

Ramirez has the height, power and skill to make an impressive run in his new division. Carpency on the other hand isn’t looking to simply collect a paycheck come Fight night. He has rattled off three consecutive wins and will be looking to once again challenge for a world title.

Carpency, to his credit, picked up the biggest win of career in 2014 as a massive underdog when he took on former pound for pound fighter Chad Dawson. It will take that sort of spirited effort from Carpency if he intends to defeat Ramirez.

A win for either man could place them in title contention.

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Vasyl Lomachenko vs Anthony Crolla: Can Crolla Shock the World?

Posted on 03/05/2019

By: Waqas Ali

Boxing magician Vasyl Lomachenko will be taking on Britain’s Anthony Crolla for the WBA and IBF lightweight belts on April 12 in Los Angeles.

Crolla (34-6-4) was made the mandatory challenger after defeating Daud Yordan in November last year at the Manchester Arena, marking his tenth appearance at that venue.

However, Crolla has been faced with extensive criticism from the boxing world especially from the casuals and hardcore fans.

Several boxing outlets have branded the upcoming bout as “a mismatch”, “waste of time” and a “lamb ready to be slaughtered”.

The former WBA lightweight champion defended himself by saying: “I started getting punched on the nose for nights like this 23 years ago. I’m not an idiot and I know this is a huge challenge.

“But April 12th I’m gonna be in the best shape both physically and mentally and going to LA to shock the world! I can’t wait to do it,” added the Manchester man.

The 32-year-old’s main competition of his career consisted of Gavin Rees, Darleys Perez & Ricky Burns.

Neither of the three possess the immense talent of Lomachenko, respectively.

Lomachenko in defence of Crolla says: “Los Angeles boxing fans are passionate and knowledgeable, and I look forward to putting on a spectacular show for them at Staples Center. Crolla is my mandatory challenger, and I like that he always comes to fight. He’s going to make the most of this opportunity.”

Two big names in particular that fans were hoping to be next for Lomachenko were Mikey Garcia and Gervonta Davis.

But because of politics in the business, they were unable to take place.

According to poll conducted by Boxing Kingdom, out of 1,900 plus voters, 83% of them picked Lomachenko to win and only 17% picked Crolla.

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Lomachenko vs Crolla

April 12th

Staples Center

ESPN / Top Rank

Difficult fight to predict.

Who wins? #boxingkingdom

— Boxing Kingdom (@BoxingKingdom14) February 20, 2019

Lomachenko boasts a record of 12 wins and one loss. In his last six bouts, five were KO/TKOs and four of them were due to his opponent quitting on the stool. Hence the nickname “No Mas Chenko” was given to him.

He is considered by many boxing experts, writers, and fans to be the best and the most gifted fighter in the modern day and age.

He possesses great attributes in his arsenal of weaponry including speed, power, technique, combat, footwork and precision.

His innovative shots and movement provide a thrilling outcome like a musician playing the cello. The sounds played in accordance with the tune provide a great sound.

astonishing amateur record consists of 396 wins and only one defeat which he avenged twice.

The 31-year-old is a three-weight world champion and will be making his third defence of the belts on fight night.

By the numbers, the Ukrainian fighter is highly active by throwing 62 punches per round and connecting at 35%. This similar to the average lightweight who throws around 59 punches but the connect rate is slightly lower at 29%.

He lands a few more punches in power punching department (14 per round) with an excellent connect rate of 47%. The average lightweight lands at 12 with a rate of 35%.

His opponents landed just 24% of their power shots and just 6 per round which is half the lightweight average.

Crolla is not a knockout artist and more of a 12 round fighter. Out of Crolla’s 34 wins, 18 of those have come by a decision (61%) and a knockout ratio of just 34%.

He will need to do something exceptional if he doesn’t want to hear the whispers of the magician’s magic moment and feel the casting spell of the wizard.

The bout overall will not be an eye-catcher for most boxing fans. Based on the stats and styles and survey, the fight is heavily in favour of Lomachenko. It would be difficult for any fan to bring any form of evidence to suggest that Crolla has a chance of winning. However, no fan can deny the heart and soul of Crolla. He never gives up and has only been stopped once which was six years ago. This is a dream fight for him and he will not take it lightly. In boxing, we never say never and like the old saying goes: “One punch can make a difference.” Regardless of what happens in this bout, he will always remain the people’s champion of Manchester.

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Lomachenko Headlines Staples Center Card April 12 Against Anthony Crolla on ESPN+

Posted on 02/25/2019

After thrilling Big Apple audiences in his last three bouts, Vasiliy “Loma” Lomachenko is ready to bring his lightweight world titles to the City of Angels.

Lomachenko, the pound-for-pound Picasso and the WBA and WBO lightweight world champion, will defend his titles against former lightweight world champion Anthony “Million Dollar” Crolla on Friday, April 12 at Staples Center. In the co-feature, longtime WBO super middleweight world champion Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez will make his light heavyweight debut against an opponent to be announced in a 10-rounder.

Lomachenko-Crolla and Ramirez’s fight will stream live and exclusively in the United States beginning at 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT on ESPN+ — the direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service, which will mark its one-year anniversary since launching on the day of the fight. The entire undercard will also stream live on ESPN+ starting at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Matchroom Boxing USA, tickets priced at $310.50, $207, $103.50, $77.65, and $51.75 (including facility fees) go on sale Tuesday, Feb. 26 at 12 p.m. PT. Lomachenko’s last headlining appearance in Los Angeles came in August 2017 at the Microsoft Theater when he defended his 130-pound world title against Miguel Marriaga via seventh-round TKO.

“Staples Center is the perfect venue to showcase one of boxing’s great fighters, Vasiliy Lomachenko, who will test himself against a top contender in Anthony Crolla of Great Britain,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum.

“Los Angeles boxing fans are passionate and knowledgeable, and I look forward to putting on a spectacular show for them at Staples Center,” Lomachenko said. “Crolla is my mandatory challenger, and I like that he always comes to fight. He’s going to make the most of this opportunity.”

“I cannot wait for this. These are the fights you are in the sport for,” Crolla said. “People will say that I have got nothing to lose, but I am genuinely going over to LA to shock the world. I will concentrate on me. Firstly, I have to make sure the best Anthony Crolla turns up that night. I’m not worried about that. Preparing for Lomachenko is hard because he’s so unorthodox. He’s that good that when he does something wrong he gets away with it. You wouldn’t teach some of the things that he does. He’s so unique in that respect.”

“I’m delighted that Anthony gets another chance at a world title, this time against pound-for-pound star Vasiliy Lomachenko,” said Eddie Hearn, Managing Director of Matchroom Sport. “After losing his world title to Jorge Linares, Anthony has fought his way back into the mandatory position, and he is more than ready for the challenge. It’s been a fairytale story for him and now he gets another big chance on the big stage in a fight that means everything to him.”

Lomachenko (12-1, 9 KOs) entered the professional ranks following an amateur career that included a pair of Olympic gold medals for his native Ukraine and an unprecedented 396-1 record. He set a boxing record by winning world titles in three weight classes in 12 fights, shattering the previous mark of 20 set by Jeff Fenech 30 years prior. He was named 2017 Fighter of the Year by most boxing outlets after forcing all three of his opponents — Jason Sosa, Marriaga and fellow two-time Olympic gold medalist Guillermo Rigondeaux — to quit on their stools.

In May 2018, he moved up in weight and captured the WBA lightweight title when he rebounded from a torn labrum and a sixth-round knockdown to stop Jorge Linares at Madison Square Garden with a body shot in the 10th round. That December, in front of a sold-out Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden crowd, he scored a pair of knockdowns and won a wide unanimous decision over WBO lightweight champion Jose “Sniper” Pedraza to unify titles.

Crolla (34-6-3, 13 KOs), from Manchester, England, turned pro in October 2006 and won the British lightweight title in 2011. He won the WBA lightweight title with a fifth-round knockout over Darleys Perez in November 2015, knocking Perez out for the count with a vicious left hook to the liver. Crolla defended the belt with an upset seventh-round knockout win against Ismael Barroso, scoring the finishing blow on a right hand to the body. He lost the title via competitive unanimous decision to Linares in September 2016, then lost the immediate rematch by unanimous decision the following March. Crolla earned another world title shot by authoring three consecutive decision wins, including a unanimous decision over former three-weight world champion Ricky Burns in October 2017.

Ramirez (39-0, 25 KOs) is ready to make his mark at light heavyweight after making five successful defenses of his WBO world title. The native of Mazatlán, Mexico, is a 10-year pro who won the world title in April 2016 with a shutout unanimous decision over two-weight world champion Arthur Abraham. In his last bout, Dec. 14 in Corpus Christi, Texas, he closed the show strong and defeated Jesse “Hollywood” Hart via majority decision. Ramirez, who has not ruled out returning to super middleweight to defend his title, also has his sights set on the light heavyweight division’s leading names.

“I am very motivated because of all the new things I have been doing to advance my career,” Ramirez said. “I am very excited to fight at Staples Center for the first time, as I consider Los Angeles my second home. I knew there will be many Latino fans supporting me. I want to become an idol of Mexican boxing, and nothing will stop me as I work to fulfill my dreams. I am also working with a new trainer, Julian Chua, who is pushing me to become the best fighter possible.”

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Crolla and Burns set for “Battle of Britain”

Posted on 08/12/2017

By: Thomas B Nicholls

British Lightweight stars Anthony Crolla and Ricky Burns are set to do battle at a packed Manchester Arena on October 7th.

Matchroom chief Eddie Hearn announced the bout earlier this week and Sky Sports will broadcast the crossroads clash.

Both Crolla & Burns have been relieved of their world titles in 2017 and with their careers in jeopardy, it’s a simple “must win” for both men.

48 fight veteran Scot, Ricky Burns was convincingly beaten in his unification fight with Julius Indongo back in April, the Namibian southpaw outclassed Burns with a slick performance and is now set to tackle P4P star Terence Crawford.

Similarly, Mancunian Crolla lost his rematch with Jorge Linares in March as he had no answer for the Venezuelan’s s elite and elusive fighting style. Linares is now set to defend his world honours against British Olympian Luke Campbell at the end of September.

Burns will no doubt be backed by the partisan “Tartan Army” as he bids to find his former glory. Burns is Scotland’s first and only three-weight world champion and at 34, he knows he must win if his career is to get back on track.

Burns said “It’s going to be a great fight, there was a lot of talk in recent weeks, the response we got was unbelievable. People want to see it and now the deal is done I’m looking forward to it.”

“It doesn’t bother me where I fight, there will be a good crowd coming down from Scotland. It’s a fight the fans have been getting up for and I’m sure they will turn up in their numbers.

“When I held world titles at super-featherweight and lightweight, Crolla’s name was always mentioned but it never happened.

“He’s a great guy and a great fighter, I don’t think you’ll get much trash talk in the build-up. The best man will win on the night.”

Bookmakers SkyBet have installed Crolla as the pre-fight favourite, perhaps favouring the youthfulness of the Manchester man. Both fighters will be desperate for the win as a defeat could determine the end of their career.

Speaking of the importance of the fight, Crolla said “All I want to do is be involved in big fights and Ricky Burns is a three-weight world champion. I’ve got a lot of respect for him. He’s a great fighter and only lost to the very best.”

“I’m looking forward to going to battle and putting on a display for the fans. Camp started a few weeks ago and I’m in a good place. “It’s at a good time for both of us. A win puts us back in the mix for titles. I’m not going to say the loser has nowhere to go, but it’s going to be a tough road back. We’re both coming off losing our world titles and the incentive is to win the fight and get back in the frame.”

Despite there being no title on the line, this has the foundations to be a fight for the ages. Both men conduct themselves impeccably outside of the ring and there was little trash talking in the press conference, it’s clear to see that their energy will be channelled in to resurrecting /prolonging their careers.

If I was to give my prediction, for whatever it’s worth, I predict Ricky Burns the victor in a barnstorming 12 round war.

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Showtime Boxing International Results: Jorge Linares Outclasses Anthony Crolla

Posted on 03/25/2017

Showtime Boxing International Results:
By: William Holmes

The last time Anthony Crolla and Jorge Linares faced each other their bout was televised in the United States on A Wealth of Entertainment (AWE) Network.

However, their bout was so good that Showtime decided to televise the rematch, with the winner likely to face Mikey Garcia.

The Manchester Arena in Manchester, England was the host site for tonight’ fight and the arena was rocking for local favorite Anthony Crolla.

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Photo Credit: Lawrence Lustig/Matchroom

Anthony Crolla (31-5-3) and Jorge Linares (41-3) met in the main event of the card for Linares’ WBA Lightweight Title.

The opening round was a close round and the ring was smaller than the last time they fought. Most of the punches of Crolla were blocked by Linares, but neither boxer landed a dominant punch or combination to clearly win the round.

The second round was a clearer round for Linares, who used good lateral movement and a steady jab to keep Crolla at a safe distance. Crolla was able to land a few good jabs, but Linares landed the higher number of punches.

Crolla was warned for a low blow in the third round, but was met with a lead left hook almost immediately afterwards and was tagged with several sharp and crisp combinations form Linares for the rest of the round. The right uppercut by Linares found it’s home several times in the third and fourth round as Linares’ hand speed looked like it was too much for Crolla to handle.

Crolla was able to land a couple of jabs in the fourth round, but nothing of note that had Linares hurt.

Linares confidence appeared to be very high in the fifth and sixth rounds as he was masterfully out boxing Crolla and landing punches and combinations at will. Linares had the Manchester crowd quiet and had the face of Crolla swollen by the end of the sixth.

By the seventh round in their last bout their fight was close to even on the judges’ scorecards. In this fight Linares was clearly ahead.

Linares landed a looping left uppercut that caught Crolla by surprise and sent him to the mat in the seventh round. Crolla was able to get back to his feet and survive the onslaught by Linares, and even landed some good punches of his own as the round came to an end, but the left uppercut had badly hurt him.

Crolla picked up the pressure in the eighth round and tried to get in on the inside with Linares, but he had difficulty doing so and ate several hard right uppercuts. Crolla had his moments in the eighth and ninth rounds, but Linares was quick to land sharp uppercuts and combinations every time Crolla started to build up some momentum.

Crolla’s left eye had a bad cut over it before the start of the tenth round and he continued to press forward in an effort to back up Linares and test his chin. But Linares’ accuracy and hand speed showed no signs of slowing down as he was able to pop shot Crolla and then move out of danger’s way.

Anthony Crolla clearly needed a knockout in the final two rounds to win the title. But in the eleventh round Linares was closer to knocking down Crolla than Crolla knocking down Linares and Crolla’s corner seemed hesitent to send him out for the final round.

The knockout punch that Crolla badly needed never came in the final round.

Jorge Linares wins convincingly on the judges’ scorecards with scores of 118-109, 118-109, and 118-109.

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Showtime World Championship Boxing Preview: Anthony Crolla vs. Jorge Linares

Posted on 03/23/2017

Showtime World Championship Boxing Preview: Anthony Crolla vs. Jorge Linares
By: William Holmes

In the early evening on Saturday Showtime will broadcast an international boxing event between Jorge Linares and Anthony Crolla for Linares’ WBA Lightweight Title. This is a huge bout in England and will take place at the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England.

Linares and Crolla met in September in Manchester which saw an exciting back and forth affair in which Linares won with scores of 115-114, 115-113, and 117-111 by unanimous decision. It was the first time that Linares went the full twelve rounds in his career.

TWO WORLDS COLLIDE PROMOTION, MANCHESTER ARENA PIC;LAWRENCE LUSTIG WBA WORLD & WBC DIAMOND LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP @ 9ST 9LBS ANTHONY CROLLA V JORGE LINARES
Photo Credit: Lawrence Lustig/Matchroom

Mikey Garcia, who will be a guest commentator, has been mandated by the WBC to face the winner of this bout.

The following is a preview of the upcoming WBA Lightweight Title fight.

Jorge Linares (41-3) vs. Anthony Crolla (31-5-3); WBA Lightweight Title

Prior to facing Crolla in September, Linares had never gone twelve rounds in his career. However, that does not mean he has never tasted defeat.

Linares is one year older than Crolla and will have a two inch reach advantage and a slight half an inch height advantage. Both boxers have not been very active in the past two years. Linares fought once in 2016 and twice in 2015 while Crolla fought twice in 2016 and twice in 2015.

Linares had the edge in power as he has stopped twenty seven of his opponents while Crolla has stopped thirteen. Crolla only has one stoppage loss. However, every single defeat of Linares was by stoppage and his chin is highly suspect.

Linares has beaten the likes of Anthony Crolla, Ivan Cano, Kevin Mitchell, Rocky Juarez, and Oscar Larios. He lost to Juan Carlos Salgado, Antonio DeMarco, and Sergio Thompson. Linares’ last loss came over four years ago and he won his four of his past five fights by stoppage.

Even though Linares beat Crolla last time, he understands that Crolla will be better prepared this time. He stated at a recent press conference, “Crolla could come better prepared than last time. Maybe he will throw more punches, maybe he will box more, I don’t really know. The most important thing is I hope he has worked really hard and comes in great condition so there are no excuses and no doubts after the fight.”

Crolla has defeated the likes of Ismael Barroso, Darleys Perez, John Murray, and Gavin Rees. He has lost to Derry Matthews, Gary Sykes (x2), Jorge Linares, and a relatively unknown Youssef Al Hamidi early on in his career.

Crolla has acknowledged he needs to come in with a different game plan in order to win. He stated, “This time I know I need to deal with the flashy combinations better, cut the ring off better and capitalize when he is open for shots.”

Linares has a slight edge in amateur experience as he was a national champion in Venezuela as an amateur.

This should be a good fight like last time, and Crolla will get a much needed boost from the hometown crown spurring him on. But, the result will likely be the same as last time if Crolla doesn’t take risks and try to test the questionable chin of Linares.

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Boxing Insider Notebook: McGregor, Mayweather, Golovkin, Jacobs, Crolla, Linares, and more…

Posted on 03/22/2017

Boxing Insider Notebook: McGregor, Mayweather, Golovkin, Jacobs, Crolla, Linares, and more…
Compiled By: William Holmes

The following is the Boxing Insider notebook for the week of March 14th to March 21st, covering the comings and goings in the sport of boxing that you might have missed.

Jorge Linares Holds a public Open workout at the National Football museum Manchester. Linares is preparing for his fight against Anthony Crolla in a World Lightweight unification rematch on saturday night Live on Sky Sports. 25th March 2017 Picture By Mark Robinson.

Photo Credit: Lawrence Lusting/Matchroom

TMZ Sports Reports that There’s Still Hope Conor Fights Floyd

Dana White Says Conor vs. Floyd is Still a Real Possibility—Telling TMZ Sports, “It doesn’t make a lot of sense for my business, but I would never keep Conor from making that kind of money.”

The UFC boss was out in Beverly Hills when he laid out Conor’s Opportunities…some real big fights. He also said Conor’s waiting for his kid to be born before his fights again.

Read more at http://www.tmz.com/2017/03/15/dana-white-conor-mcgregor-floyd-mayweather-nate-diaz/

HBO to Replay Golovkin vs. Jacobs

HBO Sports presents WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING®: GENNADY GOLOVKIN VS. DANIEL JACOBS AND ROMAN “CHOCOLATITO GONZALEZ VS. SRISAKET SOR RUNGVISAI, the exclusive replay of their highly anticipated world championship title fights, SATURDAY, MARCH at 10:00 p.m. (ET/PT). The HBO Sports team, which was ringside at New York’s Madison Square Garden on March 18, called all the action, which will be available in HDTV, closed-captioned for the hearing-impaired and presented in Spanish on HBO Latino.

Other HBO playdates: March 26 (10:30 a.m.) and 28 (11:00 p.m.)

HBO2 playdate: March 26 (3:45 p.m.) and 27 (11:20 p.m.)

The two-fight combo will also be available on HBO NOW, HBO GO® and HBO On Demand®.

Among the sport’s top pound-for-pound performers, Golovkin put his undefeated mark, extraordinary ring record and collection of 160-pound world title belts on the line against hometown hero Daniel Jacobs of Brooklyn in a fight originally carried live on HBO Pay-Per-View®. The co-feature marked a super flyweight title bout between reigning champ and pound-for-pound ace Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez and challenger Srisaket Sor Rungvisai of Thailand.

Mikey Garcia to be Guest Analyst for Linares vs. Crolla

WBC Lightweight World Champion Mikey Garcia will join the SHOWTIME announce team as a guest analyst for the rematch between WBA Lightweight World Champion Jorge Linares and Anthony Crolla on Saturday, March 25 live on SHOWTIME at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT.

Three-division world champion Garcia, (36-0, 30 KOs), will join host Brian Custer and analysts Al Bernstein and Paulie Malignaggi in New York for the SHOWTIME BOXING INTERNATIONAL® presentation of Crolla vs. Linares II, which will air live from Manchester Arena in Manchester, England.

“I’m excited to participate as guest analyst for this rematch,” said Garcia. “These are two of the most competitive boxers in my division. Jorge Linares won the first fight, but Crolla can create a different outcome.

“Linares has good hand speed, timing, reflexes and has power in both hands. Crolla has a good right hand and has shown some solid body work in his recent fights. While Crolla is getting better with each fight, Linares is likely still the better boxer, and should edge him out in a close fight.”

Linares (41-3, 27 KOs) dethroned Crolla (31-5-3, 13 KOs) in a thrilling battle last fall in Manchester to capture the WBA crown. The Sept. 24 match was the first time the three-division titlist Linares, who also holds the WBC Diamond and Ring Magazine lightweight belts, was pushed the 12-round distance in his career.

The WBC has mandated that the winner of Linares-Crolla II must face the hard-hitting Garcia, who knocked out defending champion Dejan Zlaticanin on Jan. 28 on SHOWTIME in just his second fight back following a 30-month layoff.

Linares-Crolla II is the second lightweight world title bout on SHOWTIME in 2017 and an important fight toward potentially unifying the resurgent 135-pound division.

Jorge Linares vs. Anthony Crolla Media Workout Quotes

WBA Lightweight Champion Jorge Linares and former Champion Anthony Crolla partipicated in a public workout at National Football Museum in Manchester, England in preparation for their rematch on Saturday live on Showtime.

Linares defeated Crolla last September to capture the WBA crown. Below are some fight week quotes from Crolla and Linares.

JORGE LINARES:

“Crolla could come better prepared than last time. Maybe he will throw more punches, maybe he will box more, I don’t really know. The most important thing is I hope he has worked really hard and comes in great condition so there are no excuses and no doubts after the fight.

“I can fight even better this time. Before the first fight I had a broken right hand and I hadn’t fought for a while. That’s always a factor, you know? Inactivity. I haven’t had any issues physically or mentally, so the preparation has been great. We did 129 rounds of sparring and everything has gone well up to this point.

“I know he has been quiet in the build-up, I don’t mind if he hasn’t spoken much lately. Let’s just hope it’s a clean fight like the first one.”

“The plans are in the future to get the biggest fights. Obviously the priority right now is to stay focused on Saturday but then I’ll look towards the big fights like against Mikey Garcia.

“I really think coming to train with Ismael Salas made the difference. It’s what helped me really establish myself as a professional fighter and to gain more experience. We learn ‘old school’ as Salas always says. It really has worked well for me in the two years I’ve been with him.”

“I feel really good because this time we had a lot more time to prepare. We did some of the training camp in Japan and then eight weeks in Las Vegas.

“I’m happy to be back here in England again and have another opportunity. I get treated very well, I feel comfortable fighting here. The fans here have a lot of boxing knowledge and they know me well. It’s nice, I feel at home.”

ANTHONY CROLLA:

“It will be another good fight, that’s for sure. Our styles gel really well and I don’t see how it can’t be another good fight, but this time I see a different winner. The key will be adapting. I might need to adapt a number of times in the fight but it is something I have trained for.

“I learned a lot from that fight. Linares has very good speed, very good ring craft and he used his big fight experience for when to take a rest, when to turn it on for the judges.

“This time I know I need to deal with the flashy combinations better, cut the ring off better and capitalize when he is open for shots.

“He has said he will come with another game plan but so will we. Last time I gave it everything, left it all in the ring, but I came up short. The right man won on the night and now I have a second chance at winning back the belt and beating a great fighter.

“I was disappointed I lost – you should never be happy with losing – but I was satisfied I gave everything on the night. When I watched it again there were things in the fight where I thought, ‘why didn’t I do this, why didn’t I do that’, but that is what I did do in the heat of the battle.

“You see people online saying Linares is a level above and that he outclassed me – he obviously didn’t outclass me because two of the judges only had a point in it. The right man won and now I need to show my improvements and make sure the result is different.

“Last time out in Manchester I lost a close fight but with the improvements I have been making in the gym I believe this time it will be a different result.

“The rematch was always top of my list. Linares is top of the pile in the lightweight division and if there was a chance of having a rematch that was always more important to me than any other fight. I want to fight the best and be involved in the big fights and that’s what this is.

“I want the chance to stake my claim as the best lightweight in the world by going out there and beating him.

“I wasn’t going to turn down a rematch to try and ease myself back into title contention. I want these big fights; these big nights in Manchester are what I thrive on.

“I feel better than I have ever felt. Camp has gone really well and there will certainly be no excuses. I have had no distractions outside of camp and everything is good. It is a matter now of showing in the ring tonight the improvements I have been showing in the gym.

“I have had no social life for the past few months and I will walk to the ring knowing that, knowing I have prepared in the best way I possibly can. There will be no ‘what if I had done this’, ‘what if I had done that’ – I have prepared the best I possibly can.”

Josesito Lopez to Battle Saul Corral in Main Event of PBC on FS1

Former world title challenger Josesito “Riverside Rocky” Lopez (34-7, 19 KOs) will face Mexico’s Saul “Navajo” Corral (22-8, 13 KOs) in the 10-round main event of Premier Boxing Champions on FS1 and FOX Deportes Sunday, April 9 from The Novo at L.A. Live in downtown Los Angeles.

Televised coverage begins at 9:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. PT and features unbeaten lightweight contender Alejandro “El Charro” Luna (21-0, 15 KOs) battling former title challenger Andrey Klimov (19-3, 9 KOs) in a 10-round bout plus the pro debut of 2016 U.S. Olympian Karlos Balderas in a six-round super featherweight fight.

“I’m excited to get back in the ring as the main event and put on a show for the fans in Los Angeles,” said Lopez. “I’m looking for a world title shot and I believe I have the skills to beat any welterweight out there. This is going to be a great night of fights from start to finish. I’ve been training like never before and I can’t wait to show everybody.”

“I can’t wait to get in the ring and make the most of this opportunity to make a name for myself,” said Corral. “I’ve been training hard to be ready for anything Josesito brings. It’s going to be an exciting fight but I’m prepared to leave everything in the ring and get the victory.”

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by Ringstar Sports, are priced at $30 general admission, $60 balcony reserved, $100 VIP balcony reserved and are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased through AXS.com.

“I’m thrilled to be able to promote a great night of California-based PBC action here in Los Angeles headlined by the return of a local fan favorite, Josesito Lopez,” said Richard Schaefer, Chairman and CEO of RIngstar Sports. “Also we have Alejandro Luna, who is in a tough fight with his sights set on a world title and I can’t wait for U.S. Olympian Karlos Balderas to make his pro debut in what will be the start to a great career. This is a night at The Novo that you don’t want to miss.”

Always in action-packed fights and known for his exciting style and ability to triumph against the odds, Lopez is coming off of a dominant decision victory over Todd Manuel in December 2016. Proudly representing Riverside, California, Lopez has fought at the highest level of competition for years including challenges of Andre Berto, Canelo Alvarez and Marcos Maidana plus triumphs over Victor Ortiz, Mike Arnaoutis and Mike Dallas.

Representing Agua Prieta, Sonora, Mexico, Corral is the winner of 10 of his last twelve bouts entering April 9. The 30-year-old has fought professionally since 2006 and most recently went the distance in a 10-round decision loss to U.S. Olympian Sadam Ali. He won a Mexican title in July 2016 with a fifth-round stoppage of Francisco Medel and also challenged former champion Mike Alvarado amongst his 30 career bouts.

At just 25-years old, Luna has already put together an impressive 21 professional wins since turning pro in 2010. Fighting out of Bellflower, California he began his 2016 campaign by stopping veteran Alan Herrera before dominating previously once-beaten Naim Nelson on his way to a 10-round decision in August. He had previously defeated former world champion Cristobal Cruz and veteran Sergio Lopez on the way to amassing his perfect record.

Originally from Russia but now living and training in Beverly Hills, Klimov was unbeaten in his first 16 pro fights as he climbed up the world rankings. After dropping a decision to Terrence Crawford in 2013, he won three straight fights to earn his world title opportunity against Jose Pedraza. Klimov owns victories over John Molina Jr., Gabino Cota and Guillermo Avila.

Fighting out of Santa Maria, California, the 20-year-old Balderas is the son of Mexican parents who immigrated to the United States to give their children a better life. Balderas had an impressive amateur career that included a 2014 Youth National Championship, four National PAL championships and an impressive run in the World Series of Boxing. His amateur career culminated in a trip to the 2016 Olympic Games where he represented the U.S. and defeated fighters from Kazakhstan and Japan before a decision loss in the quarterfinals.

If Tapia Wants a War I’ll Give Him a War, States Jason Quigley

The long awaited debut of Golden Boy Boxing on ESPN is nearly here. On Thursday, March 23, Irish middleweight contender Jason “El Animal” Quigley (12-0, 10 KOs) will showcase his skills against the hard-punching Glen “Jersey Boy” Tapia (23-3, 15 KOs) in a 10-round main event battle for the vacant NABF middleweight title. In the co-main event, Coachella’s Randy “El Matador” Caballero (23-0, 14 KOs) will campaign to become a two-division world champion as he combats for the NABF super bantamweight title against Jesus “Estrella” Ruiz (35-7-5, 24 KOs) in a 10-round affair; and making her pro-debut on the national TV broadcast, 2012 Olympic Bronze medalist and highly decorated amateur Marlen Esparza will participate in a four-round flyweight fight against Rachel Sazoff (0-2).

The fighters shared their final thoughts ahead the fights, which will air live from Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, California on ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT.
Below is what the fighters had to say:

Jason “El Animal” Quigley, Middleweight Contender:

“I’m delighted to be headlining on ESPN on Thursday; it’s a great honor and opportunity. My camp has been amazing – all the hard work has been put in, and I’m ready. I plan on putting on a great show for my American audience and my friends, family and fans back home in Donegal, Ireland.

“If Tapia wants a war, I’ll give him a war…I’m prepared for anything. Winning this fight brings me one step closer to my dream, winning the NABF title will be fantastic, I still have a long way to go, and am dedicated to making my dream of being a world champion come true.”

Glen “Jersey Boy” Tapia, Former WBO NABO Super Welterweight Champion:

“I’m honestly really excited for this fight. Not only because it’s a televised ESPN fight for the NABF title but because it’s been a tough couple of years for my career. People are looking at this like this a make or break fight for me, and even though most people would hate to be in this position, I look at it as an opportunity to bounce back and show the world who Glen Tapia really is!

“I have a lot of fans that believe in me and have been waiting for my return, but I also have a lot of critics that question if I can do this, and that’s a challenge that I’m more than ready to take. My job is not to listen to the critics; my job is to handle my business in that ring and show them why I belong here.At the end of the day, I can sit here and talk about what I’m going to do to Quigley, but the truth is you guys don’t want to hear that. Actions speak louder than words so I’ll just show you guys on March 23rd.”

Ringside Network to Begin 24/7 Television Network Dedicated to the Sport of Boxing

Ortiz Media Group, Inc. has signed an agreement with RingSide Network to Provide on-air operations, cable representation and distribute its signal through Cable, Satellite, OTT, Set Top Boxes, Smart devices, and other platforms throughout the United States and the world.

RingSide Network is an American specialty sports channel headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (USA) with programming devoted exclusively to the sport of boxing. Ortiz Media Group will operate the channel 24 hours per day and 7 days a week with programming featuring up-to-date boxing news, one-on-one interviews, highlights, talk shows featuring sport celebrities, expert boxing analysis, documentaries, pre-fights and post-fight press conferences, live weigh-ins, round table panel discussions, skills instructions, and classic professional fights from 1920’s to the present.

RingSide Network programming will include local, regional, national and international content from today’s and tomorrow’s contenders and champions.

“We are excited to bring RingSide Network from Philadelphia, PA, known as the boxing capital of the world. We will play a pivotal role in bringing world-wide boxing to our cable and satellite homes as well as all platforms available directly to our consumers,” said Mr. Alex Hamer, CEO of Ring Side Network.

RingSide Network plans to cover amateur events include Olympic boxing, Olympic boxing trials, National Golden Globes, National Police Athletic League Championships and U.S. Collegiate Boxing Championships, as well as boxing related movies.

Boxing is gaining popularity in the United States. Statista.com reported that in 2015 the number of people in the United States who watched pro boxing amounted to 20.29 million within a period of 12 months.

“Ortiz Media Group is a leader in operations and cable/satellite distributions and we are very excited to be expanding our relationship with RingSide Network with operations, distribution, branding, and revenue generation,” said Mr. Clark Ortiz, President and CEO of Ortiz Media Group.

The sport of boxing makes a great impact in the U.S. economy. Over 54 million Americans paid gym/fitness membership fees in 2014, and for the second year in a row actual visits to the gyms exceeded 5 billion. In 2014, the annual review of $24,2 billion was also a sharp 7.5% increase of $22.4 billion in 2013.

According to the Bureau of Labors Statistics, fitness and recreation sports centers employed 533,200 in 2014, and jobs are expected to grow 8% by 2024.

In 2010, wholesale sales of boxing equipment amounted to about $106 million in the United States. The Title Boxing Clubs grew from 10 locations to more that 100 between 2011 and 2013 and is part of the fitness industry that has approximately 60 million customers in the United States. According to the Sports and Fitness Industry Association there were over 5.1 million boxing for fitness participants in the US in 2014 and according to Statista that number grew to 6.39 million in 2015. In 2016, 5.9% of respondents who came from a household where the annual income was $200,000 or more stated that they are a fan of boxing.

Ring Side Network’s website is www.ringsidenetwork.tv

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Best 10 Boxing Fights of 2016

Posted on 12/23/2016

Best 10 Boxing Fights of 2016
By: Jordan Seward

With the new year approaching it’s time to reflect on the best boxing action of 2016, so in no particular order….

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Orlando Salido vs Francisco Vargas

The two Mexicans treated us to a classic right up to the final bell for Vargas’ (23-0-2) WBC World Super Featherweight title. Vargas, coming off the back of Fight of the Year for 2015 faced a true, steely warrior in the 36-year-old Salido (43-13-4). It was a back-and-fourth slug fest between two champions who don’t know when to quit. In the end the pair couldn’t be separated and the judges correctly scored it a draw.

Tony Bellew vs Ilunga Makabu

The real life rocky story that saw Bellew (28-2-1) finally crowned a world champion. Just after starring in the new rocky film ‘The Bomber’ got his third bite at the cherry facing a dangerous and feared Congolese who had chalked up 18 knockouts in 19 fights. A packed crowed inside his beloved Everton football club’s stadium were stunned when Makabu (19-2) sent Bellew rolling over at the end of the first. The Everton man climbed off the canvas Balboa esque and rallied to stop Makabu in the third with a flourish of heavy punches to claim the vacant WBC World Cruiserweight strap.

Dillian Whyte vs Dereck Chisora

This one had it all. Filled with controversy from the start these two Heavyweights threw everything but the kitchen sink. A table was thrown though. At a press conference. Which, as a result meant the British title wasn’t on the line. But after all the talk, the bad mouthing and the attempted scrapping Whyte (20-1) and Chisora (26-7) done it properly in the ring and fought out a clean and action-packed-12-rounder. Both men were rocked and absorbed a lot of punishment, but Whyte’s superior stamina was just about enough to nick it for him on the judges’ scorecard by split decision.

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Keith Thurman vs Shawn Porter

Thurman (27-0) was getting in the ring with probably the best opponent he’s faced. The only man to previously have defeated Porter (26-2-1) was Kell Brook, but, in a fierce competitive fight, Thurman successfully defended his WBA World Welterweight title dishing out Porter’s second loss of his career with a 115-113 unanimous decision. Although the announcement was greeted by booing, the stats suggested Thurman deservedly had his hand raised at the end, landing 43.6% of his punches while his opponent made 35.6%.

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Andre Ward vs Sergey Kovalev

The fight that everyone scored differently. It was a fight we all wanted as soon as Ward made the jump up from Super-Middleweight. The defensive suave of Ward (31-0) met the aggressive power of ‘The Krusher’ (30-1-1) at the T-Mobile Arena, in Las Vegas. The American, fighting on home turf, was put down in the second round for only the second time in his illustrious career. But Ward, as Ward does, after falling behind on the cards managed to take the second half of the fight and claim Kovalev’s WBO, IBF and WBA Super World Light Heavyweight titles by unanimous decision.

After Capturing Light Heavyweight Titles, What is Next for Andre Ward?

Carl Frampton vs Leo Santa Cruz

After unifying his IBF super-bantamweight title by outpointing Scott Quigg, the Northern Irishmen capped off his impressive year by adding Leo Santa Cruz’s (32-1-1) WBA Super World Featherweight belt. ‘The Jackal’ (23-0) jumped up a weight division and battled it out with the Mexican champion in an absolute barn burner. After a hard and punishing 12 rounds it went to the judges’ scorecards and Frampton, was given the nod. Now, just for us, they’re doing it all again at the MGM Grand on the 28th January. Not a bad way to start the new year.

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Hosea Burton vs Frank Buglioni

Words were exchanged between the pair in what was a heated build up to this Light-Heavyweight contest for the British title. But when the fighting started it quickly turned in to a very watchable and enjoyable scrap. Both Burton (18-1) and Buglioni (19-2-1) continuously plowed forwards, in attempts to assert their dominance. They were both taking serious damage and in the twelfth-round Burton’s chickens came home to roost. The 28-year-old was slowing down and deserved to hear the final bell but with just one minute left in the bout Buglioni landed some hurtful blows and the ref waved it off.

Thomas Williams Jr. vs Edwin Rodriguez

A fiery, hard fought contest… while it lasted. At the StubHub Center, on the undercard of Andre Berto’s knockout win against Victor Ortiz, Rodriguez, (28-2) displayed courage, grit, determination, and, a chin. In this two-rounder, it was Williams Jr (20-2) who was landing the more powerful and hurtful shots but a number of times Rodriguez remained upright and proudly came firing back. In the end, it took a monster left hook to knock the resolute 31-year-old out.

Gennady Golovkin vs Kell Brook

As far as unexpected fights go, this one took the biscuit. You couldn’t have called it. This was not a fight many had in mind, but, when it was made it was all the talk. The IBF World Welterweight champion, Brook, jumped up two weight division to face the feared Middleweight kingpin at the O2 Arena. Looking in great shape and as confident as ever the Englishman made a great start to the fight. However, as the fight went on we began to realise Brook wouldn’t be making history as Golovkin’s power started to take its toll and Brook’s trainer, Dominic Ingle threw in the towel stopping proceedings in the fifth round.

Anthony Crolla vs Ismael Barroso

After prizing away the WBA World Lightweight title from Darleys Perez in their second meeting, Crolla, (31-5-3)made his first defence against the man who, effectively, sent world title challenger Kevin Mitchell into retirement. As expected, the Venezuelan (19-1-2) started strong and, typical of a Joe Gallagher fighter, Crolla did not. He absorbed some early punishment and probably lost the first five rounds. It became clear after six though, that Crolla’s tactics were spot on, as the challenger noticeably began to tire. He had thrown all he had and was on empty, Crolla seized his chance and overwhelmed his opponent, eventually stopping him in the seventh.

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Boxing on AWE Results: Linares Defeats Crolla In Front of a Rowdy Manchester Crowd

Posted on 09/24/2016

Boxing on AWE Results: Linares Defeats Crolla In Front of a Rowdy Manchester Crowd
By: William Holmes

The Manchester Arena in Manchester, England was the host site for tonight’s WBA/WBC Diamond/ and Ring Magazine Lightweight Championship. Matchroom Boxing was the lead promoter for the card tonight.

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The first bout of the night was in the light heavyweight division between Fernando Castaneda (24-10) and Hosea Burton (17-0).

Burton, the British light heavyweight champion, looked to be the taller and better boxer early on and was able to keep Castaneda at bay with his long reaching jab early on. Burton looked significantly bigger than Castaneda, who looked like he could cut down to the middleweight division or lower easily.

Burton took his time in the first two rounds, but was able to end the fight in the third round after scoring two knockdowns. Burton wins by TKO at 2:18 of the third round.

The next bout of the night was in the welterweight division between Ross Jameson (1-0-1) and Conor Benn (4-0).

Conor Benn, the son of Nigel Benn, fought his first six round fight against a game but overmatched opponent. Benn was able to bust the nose of Jameson in the opening round and showed good head movement and choice of combinations.

Benn pressed the action the whole fight and kept up a good pace. Jameson was able to land a few shots of his own, but wasn’t able to score a knockdown or convincingly win a round.

Conor Benn won the decision with scores of 60-55 on all three scorecards.

The next bout of the night was between Callum Johnson (15-0) and Willbeforce Shihepo (23-8) for the Commonwealth Light Heavyweight Title.

Shihepo, the WBO African Champion, was aggressive in the first round and presented an awkward style that gave Johnson fits early on. Johnson was looking to time his counters in the second round, but wasn’t able to land anything of note.

Johnson turned the fight in his favor in the third round when he hurt Shihepo with a left hook, and he hurt Shihepo again in the final minute of the fourth and sixth rounds.

Johnson was strong in the early parts of the seventh round as Shihepo was forced to tie up whenever they got in tight. Johnson scored a knockdown in the seventh round when a body shot forced Shihepo to sit on the ropes which kept him from going down. Shihepo was able to get up before the count of ten, but tied up for the remainder of the round.

Shihepo looked like he was close to going down again in the eighth round, and looked exhausted by the start of the ninth round, but he dug in deep and landed some good shots on Johnson by the corner. However, Johnson landed a brutal combination that sent Shihepo down to the mat again, but this time for the full ten count.

Callum Johnson wins by knockout in the ninth round.

The next bout of the night was an uneventful fight between John Ryder (23-2) and Jack Arnfield (20-2) for the WBA International Middleweight Championship.

The crowd lost interest in this bout quickly, and began chanting for Crolla while ignoring the action in the ring. Arnfield’s reach was used well throughout.

Ryder had his moments, but Arnfield won a majority of the rounds.

The final scores were 117-114, 118-110, and 115-114 for Jack Arnfield.

Anthony Crolla (31-4-3) met Jorge Linares (40-3) in the main event of the night. The crowd loudly serenated “Sweet Caroline” before the boxers entered the ring.

Jorge Linares was introduced first and entered the ring the to a chorus of boos. The crowd was electric and sung loudly as Anthony Crolla entered the ring.

Linares circled towards the left hand of Crolla in the opening round and Crolla was able to stop that movement with early shots to the body. Linares began to heat up in the last thirty seconds of the round and landed a quick three punch combination, but the action and tension was tight.

Linares was crisp in the second and third round and was able to land several good combinations. However, Crolla ket up the pressure and was able to back Linares up to the corner.

Linares was warned for a low blow in the fourth round, and the back and forth action began to pick up. Both boxers were able to land their share of hard body shots. Crolla’s pace seemed to effect Linares in the fifth round as he was able to land short jabs and shots to the liver while keeping in tight with Linares.

Crolla kept up the pressure in the sixth rounds and was dominant in the first two minutes, but Linares cracked a hard right hook to the cin of Crolla in the final minute and had him hurt badly. Crolla looked like he was still on wobbly legs in the seventh round, but recovered halfway through and was able to trap Linares in the corner and land hard shots to the body.

The eighth and ninth rounds were close and both boxers looked like they were tiring, but Crolla may have been the slightly more active fighter.

However, Linares caught his wind in the championship rounds and closed out strongly. Crolla’s punches had lost their snap and Linares looked comfortable pop shotting Crolla and showing off his incredible hand speed.
Linares most dominant rounds of the fight were the tenth and eleventh round. Crolla needed a knockdown or knockout in the final round to win, but he was unable to hurt Linares.

The final scores were 115-114, 117-111, and 115-113 for Jorge Linares.

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Anthony Crolla vs. Jorge Linares Lightweight Title Fight Preview

Posted on 09/22/2016

Anthony Crolla vs. Jorge Linares Lightweight Title Fight Preview
By: William Holmes

On Saturday night, Anthony “Million Dollar” Crolla will face Jorge “El Nino de Oro” Linares at the Manchester Arena live at the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England. This bout will be televised live on AWE, A Wealth of Entertainment, and will also be shown live on the internet at www.klowedtv.com.

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Photo Credit: Lawrence Lustig/Matchroom Boxing

This bout will be a unification bout in the lightweight division and will be for the WBA, WBC Diamond, and the vacant Ring Magazine Lightweight Championship.

The light heavyweight commonwealth title will be on the line on the undercard and will be between Callum Johnson and Willbeforce Shihepo. Additionally, Isaac Lowe will defend his commonwealth featherweight title against Tshifhiwa Munyai.

The following is a preview of the main event of the night.

Anthony Crolla (31-4-3) vs. Jorge Linares (40-3); WBA Lightweight Title

This is a matchup between the two top rated boxers in the lightweight division, a division that is quite frankly lacking in big time names.

Linares was once considered a future pound for pound star, but three losses by stoppage have since hurt his value. However, he’s still considered to be the best boxer by many in the lightweight division and is a three division champion.

Linares is thirty one years old and is two years older than Crolla. Linares will be giving up a half inch in height to Crolla, but has a two inch reach advantage. Linares has traveled the world to fight and has fought in locations such as Japan, Venezuela, Mexico, the United States, and England. Crolla has only fought once in the United States and has spent most of his career fighting in England.

Crolla will be fighting in front of a friendly crowd in Manchester, and this is a fact that does not escape Linares.

“I love fighting in my opponent’s back yard with all the noise that comes with it from their fans,” said Linares. “The supporters cannot get in the ring with their fighter, it’s just me and him.”

Linares won several tournaments as an amateur on the national level in Venezuela, but did not win any medals in any major international tournaments such as the world amateur championships or the Olympics. Crolla doesn’t have the amateur success of Linares, and he seems to recognize the technical prowess of Linares.

Crolla stated, “I rate Linares very highly, he’s technically brilliant. Everyone in the gym loves to watch him fight, and he’s the kind of fighter young kids should watch.” He went on further to state, “He likes to fight at his pace and I can’t allow that. I don’t want to give too much away, but I’ve got to take advantage of some weaknesses that I think I’ve seen there. I’m confident I can do that.”

Linares’ one glaring weakness is his chin. He has three losses and they have all come by KO or TKO. His losses were to Sergio Thompson, Antonio DeMarco, and an upset of the year loss to Juan Carlos Salgado. He has notable victories over the likes of Kevin Mitchell, Nihito Arakawa, Francisco Contreras, and Rocky Juarez. However, Linares has won six fights in a row and four of his past five victories have come by way of stoppage.

Crolla has four losses on his record but only one knockout loss. His losses were to Gary Sykes (twice), Derry Matthews, and Youssef Al Hamidi. He holds victories over Ismael Barroso, Darleys Perez, John Murray, and Gavin Rees.

Crolla doesn’t have the stoppage power that Linares has. Linares has stopped twenty seven of his opponents while Crolla has only stopped thirteen. Both boxers have been very active recently. Crolla fought three times in 2014, twice in 2015, and once in 2016. Linares fought twice in 2015 and three times in 2014.

If Crolla was known for his power he’d have a good chance at pulling off the upset victory. However, he is not known for stopping his opponents and he will be in the ring with a very skilled, technical boxer. If Linares’ chin can hold up, he should win a wide decision victory. But he may want to go for the stoppage since he’s fighting in Crolla’s backyard.

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Boxing Insider Notebook: Canelo, Crolla, Vasquez, Lopez, LaManna, Harrison-Hernandez, and more

Posted on 09/06/2016

Boxing Insider Notebook: Canelo, Crolla, Vasquez, Lopez, LaManna, Harrison-Hernandez, and more
By: William Holmes

The following is the Boxing Insider notebook for the week of August 30th to September 6th, covering the comings and goings in the sport of boxing that you might have missed.

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Photo Credit: Tom Hogan/Golden Boy Promotions

Canelo Alvarez Media Workout Quotes

Canelo Alvarez recently worked out and spoke to the media in San Diego, ahead of his upcoming PPV fight with Liam Smith. Below are a few select quotes.

CANELO ALVAREZ, Former Two-Division World Champion:

“I love San Diego because it’s really calm here, which is something I require when I am in camp. I feel comfortable and at home which makes me feel great while training, and allows me to train at 100 percent.

“Getting to fight at the AT&T Stadium in Texas is a huge privilege for me and my career. Fighting on this weekend is powerful because it tells the story of Mexicans all over, making a win even more important. This fight is going to be historic; from the venue, the title, to the fans who are going to show up – I take all of this into consideration as I train hard for this match.”

“In our training we have taken a huge focus on the opponents fighting style – no matter what size or weight. Analyzing, and breaking down the fighter’s approach is what we go after in the ring. Just because Smith isn’t very well known in the U.S. doesn’t diminish how tough he is as an opponent. We expect him to be very powerful, and we are training for that.”

EDDY REYNOSO, Head Trainer for Canelo Alvarez:

“People can have their opinions on the fight. We are training for a world title fight, which is worth respecting. We are doing the work and training hard. Winning this fight is the focus and everything else will come.

“We are working especially hard on defense. We are going to be working the counterpunches, and being able to counteract anything that Smith brings to the ring.”

JOSE “CHEPO” REYNOSO, Manager and Trainer for Canelo Alvarez:

“The climate here in San Diego is perfect for training. They have a great training environment here at the gym – we have the privacy and the space to run the distance and that makes us very happy. We are enthusiastic with our training efforts, and are working hard to get another title. We are content with the way training is going, and we are looking forward to showing the fans what we have been working on.

“Liam Smith offers us the opportunity to be at the top. His last eight fights have all been won via knock out. He is a dangerous fighter, and just because he isn’t known here doesn’t take away his potential. Smith has to be doing something right to be able to have such powerful victories under his belt, and that has given us an indicator that he is dangerous, and we have to be careful to not enter the ring too confident. We are working our defense specifically for this fight, because we don’t want one of his punches to catch us off guard.”

Crolla vs. Linares to Take Place on September 24th

One of the most anticipated bouts in boxing will take place on Saturday afternoon, September 24th as Anthony Crolla and Jorge Linares will square off for the WBA/WBC Diamond/Ring Magazine Lightweight championship that will be televised LIVE on AWE-A WEALTH OF ENTERTAINMENT.

For boxing fans who don’t have AWE, you are in luck because the fight will be streamed live on www.klowdtv.com

“We are thrilled to be able to show this major bout. This is for the lightweight championship of the world and we have two great champions willing to put it on the line. This fight is for supremacy and the fans will see a great fight on September 24,”said AWE President, Charles Herring.

“If your cable system doesn’t carry AWE, we’re offering the fight to everyone in the United States via www.Klowdtv.com. KlowdTV is a new 24/7 streaming service that offers AWE and this upcoming unification world title fight, plus several other great channels including Fight Network, GolTV, FNTSY Sports, and other exciting sports programming. We’re ecstatic to be able to service all boxing fans across the country via KlowdTV as we continue to showcase the best fights from all over the world.”

LaManna Sees Big Opportunity in September 15th Fight with Dusty Hernandez-Harrison

Welterweight prospect Thomas ” Cornflake” LaManna took time out from training to discuss his much-anticipated Sept. 15 showdown with Dusty Hernandez-Harrison at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia and live on CBS Sports Network

What are your thoughts on Dusty Hernandez-Harrison?

I think he is better than what people are given him credit for. He is 29-0-1 for a reason. He has defeated everyone that they have put in front of him
(except the one draw).

How important is this fight for your career?

This is a career-defining fight. The winner gets a world ranking. It is for the USBA title and a spot in the Top 15 (in the world). This is a big opportunity for both of us. I am zoned in and I will do what I have to do to get the win. It is a huge opportunity. I have a loss and I don’t like that feeling.

You just mentioned that you have a loss. What did you learn from that defeat that will help prepare you for this upcoming fight with Dusty?

The Douglas loss has prepared me for this. Being a headline fighter on television. We will be seen by more people being on CBS Sports Network. I am five fights more mature since my loss. I have been fighting solid competition and I have been more active.

What in those five fights has helped you prepare for this fight?

None of those guys are comparable to Dusty, but I fought guys with different styles and went some rounds with them when people may have questioned my stamina. I fought a rugged guy in Ayi Bruce and a crafty southpaw in Ariel Vasquez. Those guys aren’t killers, but I was getting work in.

What things have you fixed since the loss to Douglas? Did you feel you were overmatched in the fight?

It opened my eyes and it showed me that I needed to fix stuff. My diet and daily living. I was overmatched in maybe size, but I really felt going into that fight that I would beat him.

What are you doing different?

My diet and other things I do when I am not training. I was a middleweight because I was too lazy to drop down in weight. I have made a lot of adjustments.
You started out at middleweight, but you have eased your way down to welterweight.

How difficult has that been and what type of advantage does this play into the September 15fight?

I was always a big middleweight, but strength-wise I wasn’t. Now at welterweight, I am more explosive, faster, more experienced and now I can dictate the action. This is the first time he (Harrison) is fighting someone bigger than him. He has been fighting smaller guys. He now will have to face punches from a grown man.

The fight was originally scheduled for Atlantic City, where you would have been involved in the promotional aspects of the show. That would have entailed doing a lot of work behind the scenes, which would have taken some time away from training. Are you relieved that the fight is in Philadelphia?

I am thankful for that. I know I would have had to get involved in the promotional aspect and some of the stuff leading up to the fight. To me it doesn’t matter where the fight is. Philadelphia is a neutral ground. As long as there is a ring, it doesn’t matter where it takes place

Why this fight right now?

It’s time. He has fought one tough guy and if you saw the fight, he lost it (officially a draw with Mike Dallas). I have no doubt in my mind that I will win the fight and maybe even stop him. But it is a great opportunity to get showcased on national television for the USBA title.

Battle Born Boxing Amateur Series Returns to Las Vegas

The fourth edition of “Battle Born Boxing” returns this Thursday night (June 9), starting at 7 p.m. PT, at the outdoor Downtown Las Vegas Events Center.

“Battle Born Boxing” is an amateur boxing series created by Neon Star Media on behalf of its client, the D Las Vegas, to support amateur boxing in Nevada, as well as provide a platform for amateur boxers from other states to compete against local clubs and boxers.

Las Vegas-based boxing clubs represented at “Battle Born Boxing: Uprising IV” includes Barry’s Boxing, Richard Steel Boxing Club and Johnny Tocco’s Ringside Boxing.

“Battle Born Boxing” was successfully launched April 15 and the amateur boxing series will continue the night before each of the “Knockout Night at the D” series professional boxing events, airing throughout 2016 on CBS Sports Network, live from the DLVEC.

“Battle Born Boxing: Uprising IV” tickets, priced at $15.00 for ringside (rows 1 and 2) and $10.00 for general admission, are on sale at www.DLVEC.com.

Tyrone Spong Wins a Knockout in the Inaugural International Championship Boxing League

International Championship Boxing League (ICBL) Founder and CEO, Jack Perone Fulton, wishes to thank all involved with making the inaugural Azteca Open event a tremendous success.

Held this past Saturday, September 3, in Aguascalientes, Mexico, in association with promoter Bernie Valenzula of BBB Promotions, the ICBL Azteca Open featured 21 bouts with a considerable number of these fighters looking to earn a spot in the ICBL 2017 inaugural season.

In the night’s main event, a WBC Latino Silver Title eliminator, Ontario, California’s John “Bang Bang” Delperdang scored an eight-round majority decision over hometown favorite Oscar “Totti” Mejia.

Behind after the first three rounds, Delperdang (8-1, 7 KOs) eventually wore down Mejia (8-1-1, 3 KOs) with punishing blows to the body and head, leading to a cut above Mejia’s right eye. With the victory, Delperdang now holds the right to challenge the UK’s Lewis Ritson for his WBC Latino Silver Title.

In other ICBL-significant action, 10-time world champion kickboxer turned professional boxer Tyrone “King of the Ring” Spong of Miami, Florida, (via Paramaribo, Suriname), scored his sixth straight stoppage victory (6-0, 6 KOs) with a one-punch third-round destruction of formerly undefeated Mexican heavyweight Hugo Leon (3-1, 3 KOs).

Tickets On Sale for Lopez vs. Vazquez

Tickets for the highly anticipated showdown between former Super Bantamweight World Champion *Wilfredo Vázquez Jr.* and former Super Bantamweight and Featherweight World Champion *Juan

Manuel López, “GUERRA EN EL CLEMENTE”*, will go on sale *Wednesday, September 7 at 12:00 noon ET.*

Tickets are priced at $200 (Red Carpet), $100 (Ring Side), $75 (Palco), $40 (Preference), and $20 (General Admission), not including applicable service charges, and can be purchased at Ticketpop.com, Ticketpop locations (all Walmart stores at the Money Center counter and all Amigo Supermarkets at the Service counter), or by calling 787-294-0001 or toll free 1-866-994-0001.

The fight promises crowd-pleasing, high-intensity action between two powerful fighters in an all Puerto Rican match. A fight in the making for 5 years, it promises fireworks, as it is widely known that there is a clear dislike and bitterness between the fighters. Both *Papito* and *JuanMa* have had illustrious careers and enjoy high levels of popularity in the Island. *“Guerra en el Clemente”* is shaping up to be one of the most anticipated fights in the Island for years.

*Vázquez Jr. vs. López*, a 12-round fight, takes place Saturday, October 8th at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The fight is presented by Black Tiger Promotions, in association with Matias Entertainment, and sponsored by Best Alarms and Municipio de San Juan. The event will be distributed live on Pay-Per-View in Puerto Rico and the United States beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

Split-T Management Signs Andreal Holmes

Split-T Management is pleased to announce the signing of the US National Elite Champion, Ardreal Holmes to an exclusive managerial contract.

Holmes, 21 years-old of Flint, MI made his successful professional debut on August 27, 2016 when he stopped Rakim Johnson of Indianapolis, IN in the first round, in Detroit, MI.

Holmes, who was the number-one ranked welterweight in the US, had an outstanding amateur career that culminated in reaching the finals of the Olympic trials.
Holmes has competed in over 80 amateur fights and won several major tournaments including the 2015 USA National Elite Championship.

Holmes also has competed in several major international tournaments. In March 2016, he competed in the World Series of Boxing and scored a sensational knockout over Cyrus Patterson of Great Britain.

“Since the signing, David McWater has treated me and the Gallo boxing team like family. I look forward to our success together,”said Holmes

Said Split-T Management CEO David McWater, I am thrilled to have Ardreal Holmes in the Split-T Management family! Not only is he an outstanding fighter, he a true gentlemen in and out of the ring. With his size and power, I could see him winning world titles in five different weight classes!”

Said trainer, Joe Bermudez Jr., “Ardreal’s accuracy, power and determination will make him a great fighter to watch as he transitions into professional boxing.”

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