Anthony Crolla: A ‘Million Dollar’ Career

Anthony Crolla: A ‘Million Dollar’ Career

By Danny Gilfillan

As Anthony Crolla prepares for one last dance under the lights on Saturday night, I revisit the career highs and lows of one of Britain’s best loved fighters.

If, on 6th April 2008, you were to tell Anthony Crolla he would go on to become the flag bearer for Mancunian boxing, a Sky Sports Saturday night headliner and indeed lightweight champion of the world, you would forgive the then 21-year-old for being sceptical.

Crolla had just lost a points decision to Syrian Youssef Al Hamidi, who at the present day boasts a record of 16 wins, 125 losses. With no real amateur pedigree to fall back on, few would have predicted a glittering run in the professional ranks.

Crolla went on to avenge the loss later that year and kick-start a real surge of form, a points loss to Gary Sykes the only blemish. 16 wins from mid-2008 to the tail end of 2011, picking up the vacant British title in the process.

However, even the most ardent of Crolla supporters would have then struggled to make a case for their man reaching anything close to world level. A stoppage at the hands of Derry Matthews followed by another decision loss to Sykes left Crolla firmly in the lower echelons at domestic level.

But Crolla would come again. After triumphing over Kieran Farrell to win the English title, he jumped straight back in with Derry Matthews, this time for the vacant Commonwealth strap. The Manchester man battled back in the later part of the fight to earn a spirited draw, with Matthews having taken control and seemingly in a commanding position at the middle rounds.

Somewhat redeemed, Crolla kicked on. He upset Gavin Rees, who was just coming off a world title defeat to Adrien Broner, to pick up the WBO Inter-Continental title in the summer of 2013.

Consolidating this victory with good domestic wins over Stephen Foster and John Murray, Crolla had manoeuvred himself into a shot at WBA world titlist Darleys Perez; a position he daren’t have dreamed of two years prior.

Most thought this was a bridge too far. The Manc had been hampered with injuries sustained fighting off a burglary and Perez was regarded as one of the division’s elite, with Crolla himself admitting the only man he held in higher regard was future opponent Jorge Linares.

A bridge too far it was not. In front of an electric home crowd, Crolla produced the performance of a lifetime. He seemed to out-move and out-work the hard hitting but at times rash Perez, who was deducted two points late on for low blows.

Almost all present believed the penalty, coupled with an accomplished boxing display, would be more than enough to earn Crolla the dream upset.

It did not prove so. Boos echoed round the Manchester Arena as Michael Buffer announced the judges had scored the contest a majority draw.

Disheartened but not discouraged, Crolla was given an immediate rematch. The judges were given no opportunity to deny him this time. Perez was counted out in the fifth, unable to recover from a picture-perfect left to the body. Justice was done; the dream was reality, Anthony Crolla was now the lightweight champion of the world.

Becoming world champion in any fashion, let alone in the manner he did, was an accomplishment of massive improbability.

One would perhaps forgive Crolla a ‘gimme’ first defence to parade his new trinket before seeking to unify. Au contrare.  He would jump straight back in at the deep end as the betting underdog against the undefeated Ismael Barroso, a much-fancied Venezuelan southpaw. Crolla would defy the odds again, overcoming early adversity to knock out Barroso in the 7th round.

Again, there would be no basking in his own glory. Crolla signed to face consensus division number one Jorge Linares just four months later. Despite being the marginal favourite going in, Crolla couldn’t get over the line.  In a close affair, Linares was the slightly better man and was awarded a 115-114, 117-111, 115 -113 victory.

The bout was highly competitive, however, and a rematch was ordered. This time, Linares showed his standing as a truly elite fighter. His skills proving to be too much for Crolla, who battled valiantly, but was widely bested on the scorecards by one of the sport’s very best.

A domestic dust up with Scot Ricky Burns proved to be the perfect ointment to a disappointing 18 months for Crolla. He outpointed the 34-year-old in what was a gruelling affair in front of the Manchester faithful, their support showing no signs of wavering as a result of the Linares defeats.

Burns had very recently been a world champion, and this win threw Crolla straight back in the mix at the business end of a decision, where a mega fight was looming large.

2018 saw Crolla in the ring with slightly lower level opponents, as if he perhaps knew there would be bigger fish to fry. Decision wins over Edson Ramirez and David Yordan kept his momentum going and ensured he was ready when one of the big names at lightweight came calling.

And come calling a big name did. Vasily Lomachenko to be exact. Crolla had been made mandatory challenger for the Ukrainian’s WBA world title, and the fight was ordered for April 2019.

More so then ever, the odds were stacked against ‘million dollar.’ Lomachenko was universally considered the best fighter on the planet, and few could even conceive a route to victory for the 100-1 underdog.

This time, he was unable to prove them wrong. Lomachenko looked faultless, knocking Crolla unconscious with a fourth-round temple shot. In the Mancunian’s own words, Lomachenko was ‘levels above’ as he retained his WBA and WBO world titles.

It’s been just short of seven months since that defeat at the Staples Centre, and Crolla is electing to walk away from the sport.  He will perform under the Manchester lights for one last time on Saturday, as he takes on Spaniard Frank Urquiaga for the WBA Continental title.

It’s far from a knock over job, Urquiaga is the number one lightweight in Spain and will be looking to use Crolla’s high rankings with the governing bodies to springboard himself towards a title shot.

It wouldn’t be in Anthony Crolla’s nature, however, to bow out with an easy fight. A perennial underdog who ripped from the sport far beyond what his early ability promised him, he can be safe in the knowledge that he leaves boxing with his faculties intact and his legacy cemented.