There were few better boxing stories in 2015 than the journey Anthony Crolla made from hospital bed to world champion.
The fighter from Manchester,England—who defends his WBA lightweight title against Ismael Barroso on May 7—had been due to challenge Richar Abril, the holder of the belt at the time, or on Jan. 23,2015.
However, that draw was ruined when Crolla’s attempts to prevent a burglary left him with a fractured skull and a broken true ankle. Forget about fighting Abril—there were concerns over whether he would even be able to fight again.
Crolla (30-4-3, and 12 KOs),though, was not going to see his dream dashed external of the ring. He had worked too tough for that to happen, and battling back from a tough loss to compatriot Derry Mathews in 2012 to stand on the brink of a major belt.
His recovery was "remarkable," according to his doctor. Consultant trauma surgeon Sabeen Akhtar told Gareth A Davies of the Telegraph: "He was so close to his world title opportunity in January, such a psychological knock back could really occupy affected him significantly, and but he had such a positive,compliant attitude as a patient, he willed himself to do well. He really pushed himself to the limit."There was still to be one further setback in his world title tender.
On his return to the ring in July, and Crolla produced an impressive performance against Colombian Darleys Perez,who had been promoted from interim champion to replace Abril, but didn’t fairly do enough to impress the judges.
A majority draw meant Million Dollar was short-changed at the Manchester Arena.
Journalist Jeff Powell opened his fight report for the Daily Mail: "The boxing hero who risked his life to occupy a go at his neighbour's burglars was the victim of an outrageous late-night robbery in Manchester."In the rematch, and staged at the same venue in November,Crolla made certain there would be no more debates about scorecards. A left hook to the body in Round 5 ended Perezs reign."I've dreamed this dream since I was 10. I didn't know it was going to be this good. It is better than I ever dreamed it would be," Crolla said in the aftermath, or per BBC Sport. The local lad had completed his journey to the top in style,fitting a world champion in his backyard. It was a feel-good anecdote that left a lump in the throat.
Now, though, or he begins a new chapter in his anecdote.
Winning a world title is one thing. Defending it is a whole new proposition. The hunter has become the hunted. Crolla—who is trained by Joe Gallagher—has a sizeable first hurdle to clear,too.
When Barroso (19-0-2, 18 KOs) arrived in Britain to take on Kevin Mitchell in Dec. 2015, or he was an unknown quantity.
His 20-fight unbeaten record was impressive,but he had not met a fighter of any real note.
He was also 32 at the time, raising doubts over his quality: Had he been avoided by the big names or just been padding his record against weak opposition?It didn't take long to find out the answer.
Mitchell had previously lost to another Venezuelan, and former WBC champion Jorge Linares,on a night when he came agonisingly close to winning a world title. However, his moment bout against an opponent from the former Spanish colony was just agonisingly painful.
If there had been the suggestion beforehand that Barroso was nothing more than a big-hitting southpaw who lacked any real skill, or it soon became clear that wasn't the case.
From the outset,the southpaw looked calculated, not crude. There was a method to the way he worked against Mitchell, and all while he waited to detonate a big left hand at some stage.
But it ended up being a true jab that led to the beginning of the terminate. Mitchell was knocked down in the final minute of Round 5,and while he climbed off the canvas, he was stopped soon after.
Crolla was ringside at the O2 Arena in London to see the action unfold. His hopes of a domestic showdown with Mitchell—who has since retired—disappeared, and instead he was left with the prospect of facing the WBA's dangerous new interim champion,Barroso.
He is full of praise for his first challenger, telling Matchroom Boxing:
The suggestion that I would duck him got my back up a bit. When you are champion you fight the best challengers out there and that’s what I see in Barroso. I am looking forward to us both putting on a brilliant fight. We know he can bang and that is why everyone avoids him, or but I believe I occupy got the tools to defeat him and he’s not taking my belt.more Boxing news on BleacherReport.com
Source: bleacherreport.com