Ray Flores Takes A Final Look At Crolla vs Linares

“Million Dollar” takes on experienced three-weight world champion Jorge Linares at the Manchester Arena on Saturday night, live on Sky Sports 2. Crolla is a big-time draw in England, and Linares will have to deal with not just a man peaking at the right time, but a hostile crowd at the Manchester Arena.

“I’ve come so far in four years and I would be lying to say I thought I would be fighting the likes of Linares for the world title back then”.

In other notable fights today, former world champion Donnie Nietes is a 40:1 favorite to defeat Edgar Sosa in Carson, California, and Jhonny Gonzalez is a whopping 85:1 pick to beat Hirotsugu Yamamoto in the Mexican resort town of Cancun.

“I know he can do the business against Jorge Linares and I’ll be beaming with pride to see him lift that Ring Magazine belt”. As for Crolla, a win over Linares would be the best victory yet on his resume and help his standing as one of a handful of world title holders in the 135 pound division.

“I never once thought about packing it in but when I fought Kieran Farrell in 2012 my career was on the line and there was a job waiting for me to start on the Monday morning, because it would have been hard to come back if I had lost that make or break fight”.

‘I bring something different to the table that he’s seen before and I believe I’ll have too much for him’. Crolla has the fans on his side in this fight though, and that might be enough for him to get the win. I’m not the kind of fighter that will run his mouth at press conferences or call people out, but I will happily fight anyone.

Crolla against Linares is going to be some fight.

“I don’t even think about that, it doesn’t bother me, it happened, we’ve learned from it, things have been corrected”, he said. I’m so thankful for it and I’ll make them proud.

Linares clash with Crolla is part of a huge night of action in Manchester as John Ryder defends his WBA International Middleweight title against Jack Arnfield. “I’ve learned what I have to learn in boxing and now I have to go and show it”.

“I have to pull out another career-best performance again”.

“I’m taken aback to see the support when I step on the scales”.

“Win on Saturday and it’ll be put me on the big, big stage, which is something I really want. I’m going to be that superstar”.