Will Crolla: “I believe I can go all the way, otherwise, I wouldn’t be in boxing, I would go out and get a proper job rather than get punched in the head for a living.”

Will Crolla: “I believe I can go all the way, otherwise, I wouldn’t be in boxing, I would go out and get a proper job rather than get punched in the head for a living.”

By Matt Elliott

Boxing is a unique sport that requires fighters to have a certain mentality, where they can put themselves in the direct path of possible danger but compartmentalise those risks in the pursuit of victory. Such is the mindset and discipline involved, that it is perhaps no surprise that the love a fighter has for the sport can often spread throughout generations of a family. Whether it’s a child following in the footsteps of their parent or a sibling inspired by their elder, there are countless examples that spring to mind.

One of the most recent examples of this is currently unfolding within Manchester. The surname Crolla is already steeped into boxing history thanks to the achievements of Anthony, who was involved in some memorable fights during his thirteen-year professional career, winning the English and British titles before reaching the pinnacle in 2015 when he defeated Darleys Pérez to become the WBA lightweight champion. Now, it is the turn of younger brother Will, who made his professional debut in May of last year and who recently signed a long-term promotional deal with Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing.

As I caught up with Crolla this past week, he was deep into training camp, having originally been scheduled to fight on the undercard of Jack Catterall and Regis Prograis later this month. That fight has been pushed back until October, but Crolla admits he is ready to go as he targets his sixth professional victory.

“It’s hard at the minute as I’m not sure exactly what’s going on, whether they might put another show on that I can fight on or get moved elsewhere. I’ll be on the rearranged October show, which makes sense, but I want to be out before then, I have to be, and there’s no reason why not. I’m not injured, I’m ready to go, so hopefully, something can get sorted.”

The sense of frustration from a fighter who is keen to maintain his early momentum is understandable. Crolla had five fights in twelve months after turning professional, his last being a first-round stoppage back in April, with victory coming in just over a minute, which was his fourth consecutive knockout. Those performances earned him the deal with Matchroom, which was formally announced at the beginning of July, with Crolla delighted to have it all agreed.

“It was something I always thought was going to come, but it took me a few fights and a few good performances to get it secured, but it was fully earned. There aren’t too many prospects in the UK with four KOs in five fights, and that speaks for itself. Eddie paid me a huge compliment the other week as well when he said even if I wasn’t Ant’s brother, they would’ve signed me, and that makes the hard work worthwhile. Initially, we are looking at a ten-fight arrangement I believe, over a two-year period, which is good as it keeps me busy and active and by the end of it, I want to be pushing for titles.”

Crolla’s success in those first twelve months suggests that if the momentum continues, he will be firmly on track to compete for titles in the timescales suggested. With a minimum of four fights a year, his team are looking at another couple of six-rounders before moving to eight and then ten rounds. With the ease with which he has dispatched his last few opponents, it would be easy to consider moving him quickly, but Crolla insists he will not be rushed.

“The next opponent I had lined up for the 24th was going to be a good step up. He’s fought twelve, won nine, I think, and certainly had more wins than I’ve had fights. The step up in quality will come but I don’t want to be rushed, I want the same progression that other prospects have had, and I don’t want to be thrown in at the deep end too quickly just because I’ve been knocking people out. I think at ten rounds you’ll start to see the best of me. I train hard and spar a good number of rounds, and in the longer fights, I can really sit on my shots. When those title fights come it’ll be because it’s the right time, and I’ll grab the opportunity with both hands, but I don’t want to be rushed just because of my second name.”

Crolla raises an important point, and it’s a trap that Matchroom have been guilty of falling into previously with Campbell Hatton, who was propelled immediately into the spotlight and perhaps progressed ahead of schedule because of his family name. Carrying a surname that is instantly recognisable amongst the boxing public can prove to be both an advantage and disadvantage in that regard; does Crolla feel it brings an added degree of pressure?

“Maybe for some people, who think it’s a negative, but I relish the pressure of it, I enjoy it, and let’s be honest my second name has got me opportunities I probably wouldn’t have got without it, so it’s been a blessing. I believe it brings the best out in me, and you do get a lot of people jumping on the bandwagon and saying he’s only getting a deal because he’s Ant’s brother, well the truth is, it may have opened doors but if I was shit I wouldn’t be getting signed regardless of who my brother is, I am getting a deal because of what I’ve shown so far; I am there on my own merits.”

The family name is a level of pressure that Crolla has carried since he first got involved in the sport. With a twelve-year age gap between him and his brother, Anthony was already making strides in the professional game when Will first laced up a pair of gloves. With his dad having also boxed and with his brother now firmly ensconced in the sport, it was perhaps inevitable that he would also find his way into the ring, but it wasn’t a straightforward journey as he explains.

“I was about eight or nine when I first got involved. I started going to the gym with Ant, and I’d hit the bag. Then, a couple of years later, he was at Anthony Farnell’s and Frankie Gavin was there, Tony Bellew and Joe Selkirk as well. From there I had my first amateur bout at the earliest point I could, which I think was eleven at the time and I was doing well in the amateur competitions, but I was always chasing an England call-up and I never used to get it and it did make me wonder if Ant had done something to upset them. I had about forty amateur bouts and then at sixteen I broke my wrist sparring, I came back but then hurt my ankle, and by then I’d missed two seasons and I was eighteen and could go out drinking, so I got a normal job as a scaffolder, enjoyed myself, put some weight on, and boxing just disappeared off the radar for about four years.”

Despite his prolonged absence from the sport, Crolla found a route back in, and he recalls the moment he decided to go back to the gym and give it another go.

“I remember sitting watching the boxing one night and thinking to myself I am better than some of these fighters, and I’ve not laced up my gloves in ages. That inspired me to get back into the gym, and I started losing some weight and getting some sharpness back, I was hitting the pads and sparring again, and I took another amateur fight. I have a big ego, so I took a kid who’d had ninety fights and just got to the semis of the ABA’s and I got beat on a split and I remember saying to Anthony when I left the ring, I want to turn over now, I’m not gaining anything from this I’d rather get paid for it. I’m a different fighter now to the one who came back, and I even feel I’m a different fighter to when I made my debut.”

With the decision to turn professional made, Crolla needed a full-time trainer. There was only ever going to be one man for the job, and that was brother Anthony, who was in the early stages of his coaching career. Will had always been around his brother in the gym, so for him, it was a natural choice, but did Anthony feel the same?

“He said I had to prove to him that I was going to take it seriously and that he wasn’t going to invest time and effort in me, only for me to walk away again in a few months, but he was up for the challenge. If you look at the stable, he’s building now, with Rhiannon and the Croft twins, he’s starting to get a lot of good prospects through the door. People see the work he does with Rhiannon and me, and they realise he’s a very good coach, he’s got a good boxing brain, and people are starting to see that now. There was no other choice for me.”

Crolla finally made his professional debut against Joe Hardy on the undercard of the Leigh Wood and Mauricio Lara rematch at the Manchester Arena last May. It was an eventful four-rounder with Crolla recovering from what appeared to be a slip in round three, which was deemed a knockdown by referee Steve Gray, to take a 39-37 decision. To debut in an arena where his brother won his world title and enjoyed many successful nights must have been a dream come true. How had he enjoyed the whole fight week experience?

“I am not fazed by anything, so I loved fight week, I loved fight night, I love Steve Gray again now as well. It was honestly a great experience, I didn’t feel nervous at all, not one bit, I enjoy those stages, and I missed them in the two fights I had away from them. It just wasn’t the same, no public workout and a same-day weigh-in. It just didn’t carry the same buzz. I feel very comfortable and at home on the bigger stages.”

With his immediate future cemented in the super-welterweight division and with an admission that the target is to move towards titles within the current Matchroom agreement, what does Crolla think is achievable, both in the short to medium term, but also what level does he feel he can ultimately reach?

“By the back end of this current deal, the English title has to be the minimum target. I believe I have a good style, and in those smaller gloves, whoever I hit is going to feel it, and I’ll get a reaction. Ultimately, I believe I can go all the way, otherwise, I wouldn’t be in boxing, I would go out and get a proper job rather than get punched in the head for a living but I am not going to sit here and say I will become a world champion and unify titles and divisions. One hundred per cent I intend to become a British champion, though, and be in some really good fights along the way. The British title is a beautiful belt, and it’s my dad’s favourite, so I’d like to get my hands on that and then win it outright for him and headline some fights along the way. If you retire having been a British champion, then you’ve had a very good career, and some people overlook that these days. They would rather win an inter-continental belt instead, and that doesn’t make any sense to me.”

Manchester and the North West of England in general has been a hotbed for boxing talent over the years and with a number of the more recent success stories either now retired or moving into the final stages of their career, it feels as if the area could be ready for its next big fighting hero to emerge. Does Crolla feel as if he can fill those shoes?

“There’s a massive opening for someone in Manchester, I think it’s crying out for someone, and there’s no reason why it can’t be me, I can be the next torchbearer. I’m exciting, have a fan-friendly style, I’ve got good support behind me, I do well on tickets, and now I’ve got the promotional backing of Matchroom. So, if it isn’t me, it’ll be on me why not, it’ll be my fault that I’m not the next big star.”