Anthony Crolla finally claims world title after Darleys Perez knockout

The winner of next month’s bout will face the victor of Saturday’s clash between WBA champion Darleys Perez and Anthony Crolla within 90 days. Crolla edged a fierce fourth round with a good right to the body and in the following round it was a left to the body that sunk Perez and left the Colombian writhing in agony and counted out.

Crolla is now set to fight at the Theatre of Dreams, with promoter Eddie Hearn lining up a big domestic showdown for next summer against Kevin Mitchell.

“I have come to this arena since I was 10 watching Naseem Hamed, Joe Calzaghe and Ricky Hatton”.

Anthony Crolla is ready to enter a dogfight with Darleys Perez in their WBA world lightweight title rematch in Manchester. That decision denied the Manchester-born fighter victory in the wake of him sustaining serious injuries after trying to detain a burglar earlier in the year.

The Manchester man landed a single body shot that left Perez crumpled in a heap, unable to make the count and handing over the strap he retained via split draw in the same arena back in July. It is better than I ever dreamed it would be.

Crolla’s patience was rewarded as he finally backed Perez onto the ropes before firing a right upper cut that glanced on the defending champion. “I was really confident that I was going to get a head shot but I’ll take that body shot any day of the week”. I am sure he was gutted but the whole country is behind him and nobody more than me. I’ve worked so hard to get down to the weight and you would’ve thought he would’ve done. I just have to thank the team around me.

Britain’s latest world champions, Crolla and Haskins, have overcome setbacks and at times their careers looked to have stalled or, in Crolla’s case, looked over.