Brian Rose vs. Carson Jones announced for January in Manchester

Brian Rose will face Carson Jones for the WBC International Light Middleweight title at the MEN Arena in Manchester on Friday January 23, live on Sky Sports.

Rose challenged for the World Light Middleweight title earlier in the year and continues his charge to a second shot with a tough test against Jones, who is familiar on these shores after he gave Kell Brook the fight of his life in July 2012 and returning for a rematch last summer.

“I’m excited to be back in the ring again in Manchester on January 23 fighting for another title,” said Rose. “I enjoyed watching Carson taking on Kell and he always comes to fight – I think our styles make for a great match up. The atmosphere in the Arena is going to be electric that night and I’m looking forward to getting the win and moving up the World rankings.”

The Blackpool star faces Oklahoma’s Jones on the undercard of Anthony Crolla’s WBA World Lightweight title challenge against Richard Abril, as the Manchester favorite aims to cap a great 18 months in the ring by ripping the title from the Cuban star.

Tickets are on sale now to Matchroom Fight Pass members at www.matchroomboxing.com priced £30, £40, £60, £100 and £150 VIPs.

Tickets will go on general sale at midday tomorrow with £30, £40, £60 and £100 tickets available from www.eventim.co.uk and on 0844 847 8000, with VIP tickets exclusively available from Matchroom Boxing at www.matchroomboxing.com.

– Press Release

Heiland ends Dublin party with a tenth round stoppage of Matthew Macklin

Jorge Sebastian Heiland knocked out Matthew Macklin in the tenth round to retain his WBC International Championship strap. From the onset, the speed and accuracy of Heiland was apparent and Macklin was constantly being tagged with straight punches to head and body, due to the speed and accuracy of Heiland, and his inability to show head movement. Throughout the fight, Heiland out-worked Macklin, who was unable to land of significance in the fight.

Macklin seemed to tire from the fourth round, and Heiland was able to land his straight left hand at will, and landing several unanswered combinations. Despite this, Macklin was able to show his heart and courage but the crowd sensed that time was ticking for Macklin, and it happened in the tenth round. Heiland landed flush on Macklin, who hit the canvas and Macklin’s legs visibly gave way and the bout was correctly stopped. Macklin took severe punishment on the ropes and seemed to tire very quickly.

Questions will be asked about Macklin’s future after this performance; regardless, he has had a successful career and the skills of Heiland are apparent to see and should be commended for his victory over Matthew Macklin.

Ireland’s John Joe Nevin won via first round knockout over Jack Heath. The silver medalist outclassed the Englishman from the onset. He knocked Heath three times to the canvas with superior technique, speed and accuracy. After the third knockdown, the referee waved the fight off. A terrific performance from Nevin, whose future looks bright and seems to many to be a blue-chip prospect from Ireland.

His promoter wants Nevin to return to Ireland, as well as fighting in USA and across the globe. Regardless where Nevin fights, many will be watching the career of this prodigious talent with intrigue and anticipation.

Gary ‘Spike’ O’Sullivan defeated Anthony Fitzgerald via a stunning first round knockout. From the onset, both fighters started at a fast pace with O’Sullivan visibly quicker and stronger in the opening seconds. O’Sullivan was able to counter the Dublin native with ease and landing terrific jabs to the body, right hands, hooks and finally an uppercut which sent Fitzgerald to the canvas with force. Despite getting to his feet, Fitzgerald was visibly stunned and in no state to continue. A hugely impressive win for O’Sullivan, and called out Matthew Macklin in the post-fight interview. Regardless if Spike is able to get Macklin in the ring next, this was a terrific performance by the Cork native and elevates his name and career to another level.

Khalid Yafai successfully defended his IBF Inter-continental Super Flyweight Championship, winning impressively against Nicaragua’s Everth Briceno via unanimous decision. From the onset, Yafai focused on punishing Brinceno the body and landing hurtful body shots throughout the fight. The focus on the body paid dividends for Yafai, as a body shot knocked Brinceno to the canvas. The Nicaraguan showed courage to carry on, but Yafai continued to dominate him throughout the fight. Yafai continued to find success with the body shots, knocking down Brinceno for the second and third time in the bout. Brinceno showed courage and heart to continue, but the skill and talent of Yafai lead to the wide and unanimous victory.

Anthony Crolla won a unanimous decision over Mizsei Jr.,by 60-54. Throughout the fight, Crolla looked tired and lethargic, missing many of his shots throughout the fight but was able to land some good shots to the body of Mizsei. The win was much needed, however, as his promoter Eddie Hearn confirmed that Crolla will challenge Cuba’s Richard Abril for WBA Lightweight title in early 2015.

Dublin’s Luke Keller recorded a stunning first round victory over Surrey, England’s Gary Boulden. From the onset Keller stalked Boulden and badly hurt the Surrey native with a barrage of punches; Boulden was clearly hurt and in no state to continue, and the referee waved the bout off. A terrific win for Keller, and the fans at the 3Arena showed their appreciation with a raucous ovation for their native son.

Belfast’s Tommy McCarthy stopped his opponent, Czech Republic’s Martin Horak in the second round. The skill and potential of McCarthy was visibly apparent, and stunned Horak in the second round. McCarthy landed a barrage of unanswered punches and the bout was correctly waved off as Horak was unable to protect himself. A solid win for Belfast’s McCarthy, and a bright future seems apparent for him.

Dublin’s Patrick Hyland won a wide unanimous decision over Oszkar Fiko, with scores of 80-72 (x3). Hyland was able to set the tempo from the onset, outworking Fiko to the head and body. Hyland was able to stun his opponent at several junctures, landing solid right hands and good shots to the body. Fiko showed a solid chin and courage to take the shots of Hyland, who showed his class and potential with this victory.

Birmingham’s Sam Eggington recorded a first-round victory over Sebastian Allais with a first-round knockout. Eggington began the fight at a lively pace, landing several solid and accurate punches to the head and body of Allais. Eggington was able to knock his opponent down with a terrific left hook to the body, which clearly hurt Allais and was unable to beat the count. An impressive victory for the Birmingham fighter.

– Qadeer Ali/ @abdulqadeer

– Contributor to www.BehindtheGloves.com

Crolla faces Abril for WBA Lightweight crown in January

Anthony Crolla will face Richar Abril for the WBA World Lightweight title at the Phones 4u Arena in Manchester on Friday January 23, live on Sky Sports.

Crolla, who claimed a six-round shut-out over Gyorgy Mizei Jnr. tonight in Dublin, is thrilled to have landed the well-earned shot at the big one after a fantastic run of results with wins over Gavin Rees, Stephen Foster Jnr and John Murray – and believes bringing the fight to his hometown make it an even more special night.

“To have the World title shot in Manchester is a huge factor,” said Crolla. “Without wanting to sound cheesy, it doesn’t get any bigger than that. I am a Manchester lad so to be fighting in Manchester for a World title, I couldn’t ask for anything more and the only way it could get better than that is to go out there and win it.

“I have been watching a bit of Abril over the last year because we have been linked with a fight before, but I will watch a lot more of him after tonight. He is a very good champion, he is avoided for a reason. He came onto the scene when he fought Brandon Rios and everybody except the judges that night could see he won clearly. He is a very good fighter, a well-schooled amateur and nice and relaxed.

“It is a very big ask but there will be a few factors in my favour like being in my home town which will bring an extra 25 per cent out of me. In training I will have an extra edge to me because I won’t have a problem getting out of bed in the morning knowing there is a World title at stake.

“I really believe deep down that I can win that fight and become a World champion. I am under no illusions, it is a tough fight and I go in a big underdog. But it is a fight I am capable of winning and the setting couldn’t be any better. To do it in front of my home fans really is the stuff dreams are made of.”

Details on when the tickets will go on sale later in the week and the details will be publicised at www.MatchroomBoxing.com

– PRESS RELEASE

Anthony Joshua beat Konstantin Airich with a third knockout, adding to his unbeaten streak. Anthony Joshua is one of the brightest prospects in boxing; Joshua won gold at 2012 London Olympics, and seems to have the physical and technical ability to have a bright future in the professional ranks.

Joshua started the first round looking extremely sharp, landing clean and hurtful jabs, in addition to landing the right hand against Arich. Joshua continued to show his strong jab and right hand in the second round. Airich survived though, and was able to start the third round, the only opponent to date who has seen the third round against Joshua. However, Joshua landed a terrific right hand in the third round which hurt Airich; Joshua followed up and landed a flurry of punches, with one landing when Airich was on the canvas. Airich survived the count, and the referee proceeded to warn Joshua with the punch when Arich was on the floor. After the warning, Joshua looked to finish Arich, and after landing some hurtful punches, the referee stopped the fight, as Arich was seriously hurt. After the fight, Eddie Hearn looking to progress the quality of Joshua’s opponents. Another impressive victory for Joshua.

The fight between Anthony Crolla and Gamaliel Diaz for the WBO Inter-Continental Lightweight ended on a disappointing note, with a clash of heads and a cut to Gamaliel Diaz meant that the fight ended in a technical draw, due to the fight being stopped before four rounds.

Both fighters started at a measured pace, with the first few rounds being hard to differentiate between the two fighters; Crolla was active and measured with the jab, with Diaz landing solid body shots on the inside. A clash of heads at the end of round three opened a serious cut over the eyelid of Diaz. Diaz stayed on his stool when the bell rang for Round 4, and the referee waved the fight off on advice  due to an accidental handbutt. After the fight, Crolla expressed his disappointment of the outcome of the fight, however the promoter of Crolla, Eddie Hearn, stated that he is planning for Crolla to fight WBA lightweight World Champion, Richard Abril, in his next fight.

In an entertaining fight, Sam Eggington was victorious against Denton Vassell via 8th round TKO for the eliminator of the British welterweight title; it was a competitive fight, with both fighters having success before the impressive finish by Eggington. Eggington started the fight looking sharp, landing clean punches against Vassell. In the third round, Eggington landed a terrific left hook, which stunned Denton Vassell; Eggington continued to catch Vassell with clean and hard punches throughout the round, with Vassell showing courage and heart to survive the round. However, this seemed to awaken Vassell, who made the fourth round a competitive and punished Eggington in the fifth round with terrific inside punching, landing solid uppercuts and body shots from the inside and went upstairs to hurt and stun Eggington with terrific straight punches to the chin. The next few rounds were competitive, with both fighters landed good punches. In the 8th round, Eggington stunned Vassell and followed up with landing accurate combinations, stunning Vassell and the referee stopped the fight, with Vassell in no state to continue.

Scott Cardle scored an impressive first round knockout victory over Kirk Gooding to remain undefeated at 16-0 (4KOs). Both fighters started at a quick pace; Cardle knocked Gooding to the canvas with a well-timed counter uppercut after Gooding was defensively open throwing punches. Gooding survived the count, but Cardle continued to land successive punches, especially the straight right hand. After a number of unanswered right hands, the referee stopped the contest, a stoppage which seemed a tad premature. Regardless, Cardle made an impressive statement with this victory.

– Qadeer Ali / @abdulqadeer

– Contributor for www.BehindtheGloves.com

Anthony Crolla believes a big performance on Saturday night can lead him to a World title shot when he defends his WBO Inter-Continental Lightweight title against Gamaliel Diaz at the Phones 4u Arena in Manchester, live on Sky Sports.

‘Million Dollar’ has seen off Brit foes Gavin Rees, Stephen Foster Jnr and John Murray in his last three fights and now faces the former WBC Super Featherweight champion Diaz in an acid test of his World crown credentials.

Omar Figueroa successfully defended his WBC crown on the undercard of Kell Brook’s magnificent World title win in California and on Saturday night, Miguel Vazquez defends his IBF title against Mickey Bay on the undercard of the Floyd Mayweather-Marcos Maidana rematch in Las Vegas. Terence Crawford defends his WBO crown against Raymundo Beltran and Crolla has already been strongly linked with a clash against WBA champ Richar Abril – and the 27 year old is keeping a close eye on developments as he looks for a huge fight at the end of the year.

“I’m due a massive fight and if you look at the WBO ratings there’s a good chance I good get a final eliminator to fight for the WBO belt later in the year,” said Crolla. “All those fighters are superb operators but I wouldn’t hesitate in getting in there with them and I would be confident of becoming Britain’s newest World champion alongside Kell and Paul Smith in a couple of weeks. There’s always going to be politics in boxing but I have to keep performing and keep winning.

“I have to make sure I come through Saturday night against Diaz and I am sure if I do so in style then Eddie Hearn will be able to deliver something big for me. Anyone who knows boxing knows that Diaz is a quality operator and they know this is not an easy fight.

“There’s been a lot of talk on social media about a third fight with Derry Mathews but that doesn’t do anything for me at this stage. I’m ranked at number four in the WBO and if I get the win on Saturday I am looking in a really strong position to land a World title shot. The fight with Derry is always going to sell. We’ve had two great fights and I would take a third fight and it will always be a great fight, but at the minute, despite what Derry might say or think, I don’t need Derry now, it’s the biggest fight out there for him but it’s not for me.”

Crolla’s clash with Diaz is part of a great night of action in Manchester as ‘Million Dollar’ provides the chief support to Scott Quigg’s WBA World Super Bantamweight title defence against Stephane Jamoye.

Olympic gold medal hero Anthony Joshua MBE will be hunting an eighth KO win when he takes on Kazakh-born German Heavyweight Konstantin Airich. Scotty Cardle challenges Kirk Goodings for the English Lightweight title with the fight also an eliminator for the British belt, the first of two exciting eliminator contests for the coveted Lord Lonsdale strap as Welterweights Sam Eggington and Denton Vassell clash while local favourites Liam Hanrahan, Sam Hyde, Hosea Burton, Jimmy Kelly and debutant Marcus Morrison and Derbyshire’s Jack Massey are all in action.

– PRESS RELEASE

Anthony Crolla knows his World title dreams will left in tatters if he does not overcome Gamaliel Diaz when they clash for the WBO Inter-Continental Lightweight title at the Phones 4u Arena in Manchester on Saturday September 13, live on Sky Sports.

Crolla is ranked fourth with the WBO and victory over former WBC Super Featherweight champion Diaz will see the ‘Million Dollar’ Manchester man close in on a World title challenge.

The 27 year old is hoping his hometown crowd can help roar him to victory as they have done before, and says he is expecting a tough encounter with Mexican Diaz.

“Early on his career he lost quite a few but since then he has learnt how to fight,” said Crolla. “He is a former World champion and he holds a win over Robert Guerrero.

“This is the most important fight of my career because if all goes wrong for me on September 13 then the big plans I have for World titles back in Manchester won’t happen.

“Every time I fight at this Arena it is special for me. This is the Arena from being a little kid, a schoolboy boxer, watching the likes of Naseem Hamed, Michael Brodie, Ricky Hatton that I have wanted to fight in. So every time I am back here it means the world to me.

“Last time out was a fantastic night for me and the city of Manchester, and the support myself and John Murray received was great.”

Crolla’s clash with Diaz forms chief support to Scott Quigg’s WBA World Super Bantamweight title defence against Stephane Jamoye on what promises to be an exciting night of boxing at the Phones 4u Arena.

Olympic gold medal hero Anthony Joshua MBE will be hunting an eighth KO win when he takes on Kazakh-born German Heavyweight Konstantin Airich. Scotty Cardle challenges Kirk Goodings for the English Lightweight title with the fight also an eliminator for the British belt, the first of two exciting eliminator contests for the coveted Lord Lonsdale strap as Welterweights Sam Eggington and Denton Vassell clash while local favourites Liam Hanrahan and Sam Hyde are joined by former Team GB star Gamal Yafai and Derbyshire’s Jack Massey.

Tickets are on sale now priced £30, £40, £60 and £100 via www.phones4uarena.co.uk or by calling 0844 847 8000. £150 VIP packages are exclusively available through www.MatchroomBoxing.com/ticketsor by calling 01277 359 900.

– PRESS RELEASE

Scott Quigg annihilates Munyai, Crolla outlasts Murray

Scott Quigg sensationally defended his WBA World super bantamweight title by stopping Tshifhiwa Munyai in the second round of the clash at the Phones4U Arena in Manchester, UK live on Sky Sports HD. The co-feature saw Anthony Crolla prevail via a tenth round stoppage in a hugely anticipated fight against John Murray for Crolla’s WBO Inter-Continental lightweight belt.

The 25 year old Scott Quigg (28-0-2) from Bury, UK was looking to make a statement against the late replacement South African opponent of Tshifhiwa Munyai (28 years old, 24-3-1). Both men had a quiet opener to the first round, but the contest sprang into life in the final seconds as Quigg sent Munyai flying to the canvas with an extremely well concealed, vicious left hook. Munyai was saved by the bell, but was unsteady as he made his way back to his corner.

Munyai seemed to be recovering in the opening seconds of round two, but those thoughts were quickly shattered as Quigg stunned Munyai with a right hook that devastated the South African fighter. Although Munyai managed to beat the referees count, the contest was waved of within a few moments as Quigg unleashed another frightening assault and the referee was forced to stop the contest with 1:14 seconds remaining.

In his immediate post-fight interview, Quigg’s promoter, Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing, said that they will be looking to unify the super bantamweight division with fights against Leo Santa Cruz & Kiko Martinez. When asked about the fight that everyone wants to see against Carl Frampton, Hearn said that they have offered the fight to Frampton’s team, but that they must be forthcoming and that “it takes two to tango”.

The co-feature on the night saw two hometown Mancunians in Anthony Crolla and John Murray face off in a hugely anticipated fight for the former’s WBO Inter-Continental lightweight belt. The fight pitted the slick skills of Crolla against the all-out aggression of John Murray and both men delivered to produce an incredibly exciting contest.

Although each of the first six rounds was close to call, there seemed to be unity amongst boxing pundits and fans that the fight was level at 57-57 at the halfway point. The fight went according to plan with Murray (29 years, 33-3) being the more aggressive fighter from the off and leading in with his head down and swarming around Crolla in close. Crolla (27 years, 28-4-1) appeared to be breathing heavy in the opening rounds, but this was due to the sheer work-rate of Murray giving his opponent not giving him a moment to breath.

However the longer the fight went on the more Crolla was able to land the cleaner punches and there were obvious signs that Murray was beginning to tire dramatically. Murray’s fears were confirmed in the tenth round when the exhausted fighter was sent to the canvas after a left hook from Crolla grazed the head of the extremely likeable boxer. Murray was able to beat the referees count but a picture told a thousand words as the brave, battling warrior’s face was a bloody mess. Following a sustained assault from Crolla, the fight was waved off by the referee with less than 40 seconds to go in the tenth round.

Both men are friends outside of the ring and their post-fight reactions to each other were a fitting end to a tremendous contest. Crolla has previously defeated former world champion Gavin Rees and proved himself on the domestic scene, so will surely now be looking towards a deserved world title shot in 2014.

The Sky Sports broadcast began with one of the hottest prospects in world boxing, Callum Smith, facing Francois Bastient in a contest scheduled for six rounds. The unbeaten Liverpool super middleweight had been out of action since October 2013 due to a hand injury. Smith was in complete control of the fight and after dominating the first two rounds, ‘Mundo’ sent his opponent to the canvas with a devastating right uppercut to the body and the Frenchman’s corner rightly threw in the towel as their fighter struggled to breath after successfully beating the referees count at first. Although Bastient looked out of shape in the ring, he has been a durable fighter and suffered only his fourth stoppage defeat to see his record slide to 43-11-1. Smith, now 10-0 with 8 knockouts, will now be targeting a fight with Tobias Webb on May 17th in Cardiff, Wales in a defence of his WBC International title.

In a Commonwealth featherweight title clash, Josh Warrington successfully defended his belt against Rendall Munroe. At 23 years old, Warrington is 10 years the junior of Munroe, and his youth was evident as he was first to the punch in every roun on his way to extending is unblemished record to 17-0 (2 KOs). Munroe (28-5-1) retired on his stool at the end of the seventh round with a suspected damaged jaw, and looked very much a faded fighter throughout the contest. In his immediate post-fight interview, Munroe did his best to hold back the tears as he seemed to indicate that this was the end of his warrior career.

On one of the floating bouts of the night, Sam Eggington successfully defeated the seasoned journeyman, William Warburton, 60-54 in a six round welterweight shutout. Eggington (20 years old, 10-2) has only suffered defeats in the PrizeFighter tournament and will have been pleased with his performance as he showed fans and pundits alike that he has the talent to progress into a British champion in the future. In the second floating fight, Liam Hanarahan moved to 7-0 thanks to a referees scorecard of 40-36 in his four round super bantamweight clash against Antonio Horvatic (3-4)

The first title fight of the show saw Tyrone Nurse outpoint Tyler Goodjohn to win the vacant English light welterweight belt. Nurse, 24 years old, performed impressively to receive scores of 100-90, 98-92, 98-91 from the three judges at ringside to move his record to 28-1 and pick up the second regional title of his career. Goodjohn’s record slips to 10-3 and the 22 year old will be disappointed that the margin of defeat was so large.

The opening bouts of the evening saw two fights between four inexperienced cruiserweights. The 21 year old Jack Massey moved his unbeaten record to 4-0 with a 38-37 points victory over Danny Fleary (31 years old, 1-2-1), whilst the 20 year old Sam Hyde recorded his second professional win with a first round stoppage over Tommy Grifford (1-3-1). The 22 year old Grifford had previously drawn with Steve Collins Jnr is his last outing earlier this year. Meanwhile Hosea Burton, the well thought of light heavyweight prospect from Joe Gallagher’s Gym, extended the solid start to his career by outpointing Valentin Freulon 80-73 to take his record to 9-0 (2 KOs), whilst the Frenchman slips to 9-2-2.

-Dominic Rowan / @Dom1878
-Contributor to www.BehindTheGloves.com

John Murray: “I’ll announce myself back in brutal fashion”

John Murray wants to line up a second shot at a World title by announcing himself back to the big time with a devastating win over local rival Anthony Crolla at the Phones 4u Arena in Manchester on Saturday night, live on Sky Sports.

Murray returned to the ring in November following a two-year absence and defeated John Simpson in impressive fashion in March with a second round stoppage, flooring the Scotsman three times in the round.

Now he wants to return to World level and believes victory over fellow Manchester Lightweight Crolla should lead back him to the top.

“I am a better fighter after my break and it doesn’t matter what Anthony comes with, because I will have an answer for it,” said Murray. “I am going to win the fight, and I am going to do it in brutal fashion as well.

“I am expecting a really tough fight. I know how tough Anthony is; he is on the verge of fighting for a World title. I see myself getting back up to World title level as well so it is going to be a tough fight.

“I think I deserve a World title fight. If I beat Crolla, I think the next fight should be a World title fight. I have shown I am World class against Brandon Rios, I know I have had a break but that break wasn’t down to me, it was down to the brain scan. It was out of my hands but I have been in the gym working hard

“I put on a devastating display against John Simpson and proved that I am still a contender. If I beat Crolla I will prove I am deserving of a World title shot, and I hope I get that.

“I am not worried about Anthony; he will be more worried about me. I think me at my best beats Anthony at his best. This is the biggest fight of my career. I am looking forward to it and I am really up for it.”

Murray’s clash with Crolla is part of a great night of action in Manchester, topped by Scott Quigg’s WBA World Super Bantamweight title defence against Tshifhiwa Munyai.

Josh Warrington defends his Commonwealth Featherweight title against Rendall Munroe, Tyrone Nurse meets Tyler Goodjohn for the vacant English Light Welterweight title, Hosea Burton is hunting a first title fight and there’s action for Callum Smith, Stephen Foster Jr, Jack Massey, Liam Hanrahan and Sam Hyde.

Tickets are on sale priced £30, £40, £60 and £100 viawww.phones4uarena.co.uk or by calling 0844 847 8000.

Crolla looking to be the cream of Manchester

Anthony Crolla says he will keep up is 100 per cent record in Manchester derbies when he clashes with John Murray at the Phones 4u Arena in Manchester on April 19, live on Sky Sports.

Crolla has boxed in four all-Manchester fights in his career to date, and come out on top in them all. Crolla began his run by stopping former World champion Michael Brodie in 2009 in Brodie’s last pro fight and then won his first title against Andy Morris with a seventh round stoppage in 2010 to claim the English Super Featherweight belt.

‘Million Dollar’ was the victor in a cracking battle with Kieran Farrell for the English Lightweight crown in 2012 and in his last outing, he took six rounds to force the retirement of Stephen Foster Jr at the Phones 4u Arena in November to defend the WBO Inter-Continental title he puts on the line against Murray – who Crolla says will be the hardest Lancashire dust-up of them all, especially with the two men knowing each other inside and out.

“I’ve been in four Manchester derbies and won all four, but this is different because that are lots of factors involved,” said Crolla. “John and I are good mates, we used to train together under Joe Gallagher and we support United and City. There is no problem between John and I, we will go out for a drink after the fight, but once that bell goes there won’t be any friendship.

“We are focused on doing a job on each other. I have been in John’s corner before and he has been in mine. We have seen each other close-hand and have fought many rounds together. There is only so much you can take from sparring, but we both believe we have seen strengths and weaknesses in each other. We both have the same friends so there might be a few neutrals in there on the night, but I hope to have the red side of Manchester in my corner.

“If you can’t get up for a fight like this then I am in the wrong sport. It’s a Manchester derby, I’ve been in them before and come out on top, this is the biggest one of the lot though but I am very confident of another derby night win.

“This was always the fight I wanted and the demand there was for it showed how big a fight it is. I’m made up that it’s happening, it’s great for the city too.”

While neither fighter will look beyond the huge night in Manchester, both men are aware that there’s more than just local pride at stake. The victor will edge closer to another huge fight, and a potential all-Brit clash with Ricky Burns certainly whets the appetite for Crolla.

“A fight with Ricky is still a big fight even though he’s no longer a World champion. Ricky is a great fighter and I am sure he’ll be looking at another World title shot very soon as he’s earned that privilege with his reign as a two-weight World champion, so getting to fight him would still be huge.”

Crolla’s clash with Murray is part of a huge night of boxing in Manchester, topped by Scott Quigg’s second defence of his WBA World Super Bantamweight title.

Josh Warrington defends his Commonwealth Featherweight title against former World title challenger Rendall Munroe, Tyrone Nurse meets Tyler Goodjohn for the vacant English Light Welterweight title and Olympic Gold medal hero Luke Campbell MBE is his sixth pro contest.

Red hot prospect Callum Smith returns to the ring following injury, Hosea Burton is hunting a first title fight and there’s action for Martin J. Ward, Stephen Foster Jr, Jack Massey, Liam Hanrahan and Sam Hyde.

Tickets are on sale priced £30, £40, £60 and £100 via www.phones4uarena.co.uk or by calling 0844 847 8000, while £150 VIP packages are exclusively available through www.matchroomboxing.com or by calling 01277 359 900.

-PRESS RELEASE

John Murray: “I deserve more respect”

John Murray says that beating Anthony Crolla will finally earn him the respect he believes his career deserves as the meet at the Phones 4u Arena in their hometown of Manchester on April 19, live on Sky Sports.

The friends meet as rivals in a crunch clash in the Lightweight division, with a rematch for Murray against Kevin Mitchell or a dust-up with former WBO champion Ricky Burns both potential carrots dangled in front of the returning Murray, who is back in the mix after retiring following his World title challenge against Brandon Rios in New York in December 2011.

Murray made it two wins in two since his comeback with a second round stoppage of John Simpson, flooring the rugged Scotsman three times in the round with body shots, but the 29 year old says the reaction to his win has frustrated him.

“I thought it was a great performance against John,” said Murray. “Simpson is a tough man and I don’t think anyone else in the country could’ve beaten him the way I did, Anthony Crolla certainly couldn’t, it would be a tough fight for him and although I would expect him to win I don’t think he would’ve done it the way I did.

“I don’t feel that I get the credit I deserve for the career I have had and I use that as a motivation, it’s put a chip on my shoulder and I use that to go into the ring and take people out until I do get the credit that’s due.

“Anthony is trying to break into the world scene and I am trying to get back there and land another World title shot so it’s the perfect fight. I think the winner of the fight will get a World title shot, so the stakes are huge.

“The break recharged my batteries. I was a bit flat towards the back end of my career, the last four or five fights I was just coming forward with my hands high trying to wear my opponents down because I was a bit worn out. But I’ve had that break and I can see in training that I’m rejuvenated, fresher and sharper.”

Murray has crossed swords with former trainer Joe Gallagher in the build-up to the fight, with Gallagher in Crolla’s corner plotting his demise. Murray believes the work he is doing with his trainer Michael Marsden will give him the edge over Crolla, who is part of Gallagher’s busy gym of British talent.

“I’m working hard and it’s great training one-on-one with Mike,” said Murray. “Joe has too many fighters in his gym and it’s hard for him to give individuals the time that they need to really peak. I’m enjoying training and boxing again, and you could see on the scales before I boxed John that I was in good shape and getting the diet right.

“I’ve worked with Joe Gallagher for years but the relationship turned sour and we’re not friends now. It’s a shame but it’s done now and I’ve got to concentrate on the fight now. Anthony and I are good friends but we’re not right now as we’re training hard and thinking about hurting each other. We can have a pint after the fight but right now we’re having evil thoughts about doing each other in.”

Murray’s clash with Crolla is part of a great night of action in Manchester, topped by Scott Quigg’s WBA World Super Bantamweight title defence against Nehomar Cermeno.

Olympic Gold medal heroes Anthony Joshua MBE and Luke Campbell MBE face their sixth pro contests, Josh Warrington defends his Commonwealth Featherweight title, Tyrone Nurse meets Tyler Goodjohn for the vacant English Light Welterweight title, Hosea Burton is hunting a first title fight and there’s action for Grzegorz Proksa who faces Matthew Hall, Martin J. Ward, Stephen Foster Jr, Jack Massey, Liam Hanrahan and Sam Hyde.

Tickets are on sale priced £30, £40, £60 and £100 via www.phones4uarena.co.uk or by calling 0844 847 8000, while £150 VIP packages are exclusively available through www.matchroomboxing.com or by calling 01277 359 900.

-PRESS RELEASE