By Scott Gilfoid: Despite being little more than a domestic level 2nd tier fighter, British lightweight champion Anthony Crolla (23-2, 9 KO’s) badly wants a fight against World Boxing Organization interim lightweight champion Ricky Burns (33-2, 9 KO’s) next but is finding himself completely ignored for all of his pleading.

Crolla told the Manchester Evening News “It’s a fight I believe I can win and I believe it would be a great fight. I want to become Manchester’s first world champion since Ricky Hatton and become Ricky’s first world champion…I’m up for the fight. It’s down to the promoters to work together. All I can do is fight.”

Crolla’s promoter Ricky Hatton of Hatton Promotions is interested as well in making the fight happen. An offer has been made to Burns’ promoter Frank Warren to see if the fight can be made. However, Burns will be matched against someone else instead. Crolla will have to wait a little longer if he wants to get this fight because it looks like a no go right now.

Here’s my take on all of this: How in the world can Crolla be asking for a fight against Burns when Crolla isn’t even ranked in the top 15 by any of the sanctioning bodies? Does Crolla expect Burns to pool from the 2nd tier when he’s looking for fights? I mean, come on, he’s fought some pretty horrible opponents in the last couple of years but at least most of them have ranked somewhere near the bottom or middle of the pack. But to ask Burns to dig up from the 2nd tier, that’s asking too much.

What Crolla needs to do is beat someone that people have heard of, preferably someone that’s actually good. Then Crolla can come and make a case that he deserves a shot at a world title but how can you ask for a title shot when you’re just a measly 2nd tier domestic level fighter? What happened to working your way up to a title shot? Does Crolla think he’s David Haye or something?

I think Burns did right to ignore Crolla. I’d ignore him too and keep ignoring him until one day when he finally beats a first tier fighter and gets a top 15 ranking. I wouldn’t bother fighting him if he’s a bottom 15 dweller. Nah, I’d still ignore him until he’s top 5 and then I’d fight him. However, I can’t ever see Crolla getting to the number #5 spot in the lightweight division, can you? I’d have to be pretty far gone to see him climbing that high. I doubt Crolla ever even makes No.15, let alone #5. The speed, power and talent just isn’t there.