Crolla expecting toughest fight of his career against Barroso

By Boxing News - 04/28/2016 - Comments

crolla124By Scott Gilfoid: WBA World lightweight champion Anthony Crolla (34-4-3, 12 KOs) is really looking forward to his May 7 title defense against interim WBA champion Ismael Barroso (19-0-2, 18 KOs) at the Manchester Arena in Manchester. UK. Crolla, 29, sees this fight as the toughest of his career and he’s ready for it.

Barroso just finished knocking out Crolla’s fellow countryman Kevin Mitchell last December in his 5th round knockout win. Crolla isn’t worried about Barroso jumping him in the same way because he feels he has the skills to stop him from doing that.

Crolla will be fighting in front of his own fans against Barroso. Fighting in front of his own fans helped Crolla earn a draw against Darleys Perez last year when Crolla was on his way to losing the fight. If not for the referee taking points away from Perez in both the 11th and 12th rounds for low blows, Crolla would have lost the fight.

Fighting at home seems to have worked in Crolla’s favor in that fight, didn’t it?

Unfortunately for Crolla, he’s facing a guy in Barroso who has the ability to turn judges into useless spectators with his way of knocking out his opponents. Only two opponents have made it to the final bell against Barroso, and that was earlier in his career in short four round fights against guys that he likely would have knocked out if the fight were longer bouts.

“We saw in December just how good Barroso is in the way he dealt with Kevin Mitchell, who is a very good fighter,” said Crolla via skysports.com. “I’m expecting the toughest fight of my career and certainly he’s seen as the most dangerous lightweight on the planet, but it’s a challenge I’m really looking forward to.”

This has to be the worst possible opponent that a light puncher like Crolla could ever fight in his career. Barroso is a huge puncher and he’s facing a fighter that literally has nothing to keep him off of him. Crolla does well against fighters that stand on the outside that try to box him like we saw with Perez. He fought dumbed fight I’ve ever seen someone fight.

Barroso does not play that. He goes right after his opponents in throwing huge power shots in combination form. Barroso is going to turn this fight ito a war whether Crolla likes it or not. If Crolla doesn’t have the power or the chin to handle Barroso’s tsunami like attack, then he’s going to get mowed down.

I do not think it’ll help Crolla if the referee starts taking points off from Barroso for throwing low blows like we saw with first Crolla-Perez fight because I don’t see this fight won’t go to the cards. In other words, I think Crolla is going to get knocked out within five rounds on May 7 unless he finds some power by that date.

“We’ve been looking at his strengths and weaknesses to see what I can capitalize on, and obviously I need to be switched on from round one,” said Crolla. “I can’t afford to be starting too slow because he’s the kind of fighter that if he lands a good punch on you it could be over. I am sharper than ever,” said Crolla.

I do not think it really matters whether Crolla starts slow or fast. He’s going to need to get in the pit and trade shots with this monster puncher and I don’t see Crolla being able to do that.

We already know what Crolla’s secret strategy is going to be in this fight. Crolla is going to try to throw body shots. I wish him a lot of luck with that strategy because as soon as he starts throwing to the body, he’s going to leave his head open for Barroso’s nonstop head shots.