A boyhood dream became reality tonight as Anthony Crolla (30-4-3) beat Darleys Perez (32-2-1) via 5th round TKO to become the new WBA lightweight champion.
Billed as the Pride of Manchester, the partisan crowd certain didn’t disappoint in their support for their man with chants of ‘Oh Anthony Crolla’ from the first minute all the way through till the last.
Crolla’s trainer Joe Gallagher had mentioned in this weeks pre fight press conference how it was ‘now or never for Anthony’ and he duly applied with a victory at 2:30 of round 5.
Right from the very 1st round both fighters set the tone with neither having to go out and find the other with jabs and combinations landing from both. Perez seemingly better than he was in the first fight, took the 2nd round with some good combinations with some spiteful punches as his confidence grew.
Crolla started strongly in round 4 with some great body work and uppercuts, using his key defensive skills to make Perez miss almost wildly at times. At the very end of the round, the challenger caught Perez with yet another body shot that seemed to take the wind out of him.
Into the 5th a picture perfect left body shot to Perez put the champion down, shaking his head to his corner the second he went down he knew it was all over and as referee Terry O’Connor reached the 10 count, the wild celebrations from the crowd and corner started.
In a city which Ricky Hatton made his own with his passionate fans and body shots, it seemed fitting that local hero Anthony Crolla won his first World title with a clinical body shot. Crolla who had been to the arena many a time as a fan finally had his night that he had been dreaming of since childhood.
A new prospect is on the way as Ryan Burnett (12-0) beat the experienced Jason Booth (38-14) via unanimous decision (120-107 all 3 judges) to win the vacant British Bantamweight Title.
In a battle of youth versus experience Burnett put Booth down in the 1st round with a lightning fast right hand ending a slick combination. Switching in and out of southpaw Burnett seemed willing to plant his feet from the off as he slowly stalked his opponent.
Booth bringing all of his experience to the table having previously fought the likes of World Champions Scott Quigg and Lee Haskins, needed his ring craft to get himself out of range during the early rounds as Burnett went on the attack with some crisp body shots.
Slower rounds followed as Booth used every trick in his arsenal to frustrate Burnett, but glimpses of something special where always on show from the Northern Irishman.
Into the 6th Burnett’s trainer Adam Booth sent his man out wanting more and he truly obliged with a couple of vicious looking uppercuts, but again Booth used his knowledge to get through and started to get onto the front foot during the start of the 7th.
In what will no doubt end up being invaluable experience for Burnett, the rounds seemed to pass by as the slower rate gave Booth all the chance he needed to stay in there. Burnett having never gone beyond six rounds previously seemed calmed throughout without ever really getting out of second gear, throwing cameos of combinations during each round without the full follow on.
In the first of the live fights Tyrone Nurse (32-2-1) beat Chris Jenkins (16-0-2) for the vacant British Super Lightweight title via a Unanimous Decision (115-112, 115-112, 116-111). The two 10 stone fighters produced yet another epic encounter after their previous draw in the summer with two well matched styles.
Welshman Jenkins started the brighter of the two with his tactics seemingly to take Nurse out of his rhythm as early as possible; Nurse who looked the classier of the two showed off his range of skills but at times seemed to lack the spite.
A 3rd round accidental clash of heads resulted in a nasty cut to the head of Jenkins and it immediately gave Nurse confidence to start throwing more combinations from different angles.
Seemingly irritated by the cut and lacking some confidence Jenkins produced a wonderful overhand right that put Nurse down in the 5th round. Brilliantly using his defence, Nurse got himself through the round fighting back with slick combinations and carried that on into and through the middle rounds.
Former Prizefighter champion Jenkins couldn’t utilize his jab which was so effective in the first few rounds, and as the fight got down the stretch Nurse started to pickpocket the very close rounds with the more confident, sharper work.
After yet another accidental cut to Jenkins in the 10th, the Welshman seemed to go for broke in the final couple of rounds and gathered his second wind with all to seemingly play for in the final round. The final round seemed to sum up the entire fight with virtually nothing separating the two as both men went for as much as they had left in the tank.
In the first of the live fights Tyrone Nurse (32-2-1) beat Chris Jenkins (16-0-2) for the vacant British Super Lightweight title via a Unanimous Decision (115-112, 115-112, 116-111). The two 10 stone fighters produced yet another epic encounter after their previous draw in the summer with two well matched styles.
Welshman Jenkins started the brighter of the two with his tactics seemingly to take Nurse out of his rhythm as early as possible; Nurse who looked the classier of the two showed off his range of skills but at times seemed to lack the spite.
A 3rd round accidental clash of heads resulted in a nasty cut to the head of Jenkins and it immediately gave Nurse confidence to start throwing more combinations from different angles.
Seemingly irritated by the cut and lacking some confidence Jenkins produced a wonderful overhand right that put Nurse down in the 5th round. Brilliantly using his defence, Nurse got himself through the round fighting back with slick combinations and carried that on into and through the middle rounds.
Former Prizefighter champion Jenkins couldn’t utilize his jab which was so effective in the first few rounds, and as the fight got down the stretch Nurse started to pickpocket the very close rounds with the more confident, sharper work.
After yet another accidental cut to Jenkins in the 10th, the Welshman seemed to go for broke in the final couple of rounds and gathered his second wind with all to seemingly play for in the final round. The final round seemed to sum up the entire fight with virtually nothing separating the two as both men went for as much as they had left in the tank.
– Sam Cawthray / @SamCawthray
Leave a Reply