Boxers lead a perilous enough existence as it is without members of the public endangering their health. So, although Anthony Crolla suffered a cracked skull and broken ankle when thieves – fleeing his neighbour’s house in December – battered him with a concrete slab, it is impossible not to admire the Manchester fighter’s sangfroid when he declared ahead of his world title challenge on Saturday night: “It was certainly the best shot I’ve ever taken.”
It was a remark typical of the Manchester lightweight, one of the game’s nice guys, a smile never more than a few seconds from his lips, a solid citizen who did not hesitate for a second in trying to apprehend those desperate intruders, even though he was on the verge of fighting for the world title against the WBA champion Richar Abril.
That was shelved and Crolla, laid up in hospital and in danger of losing his livelihood if the injuries were deemed too serious to allow him back in the ring, reckoned his big moment had passed.
However, a boxer who has made the most of his uncomplicated skills of high-energy attack in a career of many ups and a few downs, was not going to give up easily. He came through tortuous rehab, got back in the gym and prepared himself for a rare second chance.
Crolla thoroughly deserves his shot at the Colombian Darleys Pérez, who now owns that WBA lightweight belt, having held the interim title through three defences over 19 months, which would be a ludicrous situation in any other sport.
Crolla heads to the MEN Arenaon Saturday night backed by a loud contingent of Mancunians – not all of whom share his love of Manchester United but who will back him to the hilt – and he reckons he is a worthy challenger.
“I couldn’t write the script any better,” Crolla said. “Rollercoaster doesn’t do the last eight months justice – it’s been a mad time. I know how easy world title shots can come and go, so after what happened I was never going to turn down this chance. But also, I wouldn’t take on the task without knowing 100% that I can win the title and that’s what I am going to do.”
Pérez’s only loss in 33 fights was to the estimable Cuban Yuriorkis Gamboa, who was then unbeaten, back in June, 2013. And, while the 33-year-old from San Pedro de Urabá has met few other opponents of world class, he is heavy-handed and dangerous. If Crolla could beat him – and there are a few doubters – he would be making a considerable statement at the highest level.
Victory could – in ideal circumstances – set up a rubber match for Crolla against the Liverpudlian Derry Mathews, who won the WBA’s interim title by beating Tony Luis over 12 rounds in Liverpool in April. Mathews was due to challenge Abril that night, but he withdrew, allegedly ill – for the second time.
If this is confusing, it is meant to be: this is boxing. Mathews got his interim chance because Abril was stripped of his full title after those two call-offs, and now has the prospect of an all-British title fight against Crolla – if he wins on Saturday night and if their rival promoters can agree terms. So, what should be an obvious world title fight between two British champions would not be any sure-fire bet.
Crolla has work to do yet. It will be fascinating to see how he reacts when back in live action after the trauma of the burglars’ cowardly attack. His trainer Joe Gallagher maintains he has never been fitter or more ready for a fight, which is some statement.
It is a big Sky card, with Scott Quigg defending his WBA version of the super-bantamweight title against Kiko Martínez, who has lost twice to Quigg’s Irish rival, Carl Frampton, the IBF champion who makes his American debut for the sport’s dominant new promoter, Al Haymon, in Texas on Saturday nightagainst Alejandro González Jr.
“I have improved 25% since my last fight, and that’s a lot,” said Quigg, who outpointed Hidenori Otake in Liverpool last November.
“Kiko says he’s prepared for the best Scott Quigg – no one has seen the best of me, but they will on Saturday.”
The former three-times middleweight world title challenger Martin Murray has his second outing at 12st in a distinctly less challenging eight-rounder than his 11-round struggle against Gennady Golovkin, against the 35-year-old Croat Mirzet Bajrektarevic, who might be harder to pronounce than beat.
