By Gav Duthie: Anthony Crolla will be feeling a million dollars today as medical examinations have cleared him to resume his boxing career. It has been only two months since a horror incident involving an altercation with a home burglar left Crolla with a fractured skull. It was feared that he may need to retire but will now be again looking to win a world title.
By Gav Duthie: One mans misery is another mans fortune as the old saying goes. I was devastated for Anthony ‘Million Dollar’ Crolla on missing out on his world title shot against skilful Cuban Richar Abril 19-3-1 (8) this month when he fractured his skull trying to apprehend burglars next to his home. Crolla’s former Liverpudlian rival Derry Matthews 36-9-2 (19) has secured the fight against Abril instead in Liverpool on 6 March.
Derry Matthews deserving
If Crolla deserves this opportunity then why not Derry. He already boasts a knockout victory over Crolla and was unlucky to draw in the rematch. Derry’s decision to sign with Queensbury promotions (Frank Warren) scuppered any chance of a trilogy fight.
By James P Sexton: This year we have seen World welterweight champion Kell Brook suffer a stab wound and former British, Irish and European champion Jamie Moore suffer two gunshots wounds.
Now it is being reported that WBO Inter-continental champion Anthony Crolla has been injured during an altercation at his home on Tuesday night.
His promoter Eddie Hearn has said that his World title challenge against Richar Abril (which was scheduled for January 23rd) will be postponed but as this was the first World title shot for the 28 year old Manchester fighter, it has come as a devastating blow to him, his team, family and fans.
By Scott Gilfoid: In a series of clear mismatches tonight in a card at the Phones 4U Arena in Manchester, WBA super bantamweight champion Scott Quigg (28-0-2, 21 KOs) will be making a defense against #12 IBF Stephane Jamoye. Quigg is a currently a huge 20-1 favorite to whip Jamoye, who is a replacement for another fringe contender #15 IBF Paulus Ambunda that Quigg’s promoter had him scheduled to fight.
Quigg should win with ease tonight, but with him facing an over-matched opponent, his fight hasn’t attracted much attention unfortunately.
By Gavin Duthie: Mr ‘Bouncebackaility’ Derry Mathews 35-9-2(19) has kept his name in the frame on the British domestic scene with a 12 round split decision victory over Martin Gethin 24-5-1 (11). With this win Derry has become the British champion for the second time. After his recent defeat to Stephen Ormond for the European crown a win was essential for Matthews on Saturday night.
For me this sets up a much anticipated 3rd fight with Anthony Crolla 28-4-1 (11). I put Derry in the same bracket as the likes of retired duo Michael Gomez and Carl Johansen. We know he is at best a British/European level fighter but he’s always exciting to watch and that’s what sport is all about. Conversely Eddie Hearn is trying to convince us that Anthony Crolla is at world level despite the fact he has fought Matthews twice and the best he has managed is one draw.
By Scott Gilfoid: #6 WBO lightweight contender Anthony Crolla (28-4-1, 11 KO’s) defeated a badly gassed out John Murray (33-3, 20 KO’s) by a 10th round TKO on Saturday night at the Phones 4u Arena in Manchester, UK. Crolla knocked down a badly bruised up Murray with a left hook to the head in the 10th round. A stumbling Murray got back up, and he was hit with a brief burst of punches from Crolla.
The referee then stepped in and halted the fight with Murray still on his feet but looking tired and hurt. Murray’s conditioning and defense betrayed him in this fight because this was a winnable fight for him.
By Scott Gilfoid: Former EBU lightweight champion John Murray (33-2, 20 KO’s) will get to test his power shots on the light-hitting #5 WBO Anthony Crolla (27-4-1, 10 KO’s) next month on April 19th at the Manchester Arena in Manchester, UK. Crolla, a pure finesse fighter with a number of controversial decisions in the last year, is going to be in for a world of hurt in this fight.
Crolla arguably should have lost his rematch against Derry Mathews last year in March, and after that Crollas was given another gift with his 12 round majority decision win over Gavin Rees last year in June in a fight that I had Rees winning easily by 4 rounds. With Crolla getting gift after gift in his fights, I have a feeling that Murray might have to knock him out cold in order to get the win and turn the three judges into helpless spectators in the fight.
The good thing that Murray has going for him is his power. He’s capable of bringing his own judges with him on April 19th so that we that there won’t be another controversial decision involving Crolla. Believe me, if Crolla wins this fight, he’s going to have to knock Murray out, because if he’s still there by the 6th round, Crolla is likely to be punch drunk and on his way to getting blasted out.
By Scott Gilfoid: Matchroom sport promoter Eddie Hearn is interested in putting together a fight between John Murray (33-2, 20 KO’s) and Anthony Crolla (27-4-1, 10 KO’s) on April 19th at the Manchester Arena, in Manchester, UK. Murray and Hearn both want the fight, and it looks like Crolla is up for it as well. Murray destroyed John Simpson by a 2nd round TKO last Saturday night on the Ricky Burns vs. Terence Crawford fight card at the Scottish Exhibition Centre, Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom.
“I’m really up for a fight fight, and Anthony Crolla on April 19th is the one that’s offered,” Murray said to Sky Sports. “I think I’m the more powerful man, and I’ll win and win by stoppage.”
By Ciaran McKinney: Fans were treated to a real spectacle of domestic level boxing tonight at the USN Bolton Arena, the card was not what most casual fans would consider to be ‘stacked’. However, to the die-hard fan of the local scene, it had everything on the menu, a highly anticipated, make or break rematch and the main event clash of styles, the possible culmination of a true underdog story. Every boxer delivered tonight from top to bottom.