BoxRec

I'm going for Crolla by decision, but expecting a tough tussle along the way.

Looking forward to this one now, hoping Linares gets the W...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ypj8Ipoyr-E
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stn_hesoTwA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOUKNrKob1Q
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naFebMBMlXo

Excellent fight. Along with Warrington v Amagasa an outstanding world class fight between a local lad and a visitor. Great experience for Crolla. Think he can do better in an immediate rematch and that a second fight would be a big attraction.

Crolla had to take harder body shots and rights to the head than ever and it definitely affected him. In a rematch he'd have to inflict body damage much earlier, and close the fight stronger - with more sustained attacks. He just needed extra artillery and he barely threw the left hook to the head, maybe because the right of Linares was quicker.

Two titles and recognition as lineal champ on the line - so you want to see that extra, championship level rally from him. Crolla is tidy, boxes within himself, prevents him being flaky and falling to pieces. But to win at this elevated level requires fighting in that extra gear that I know he's capable of. He always boxes better in a rematch and I know the experience will make him a better fighter.

Highly debatable that lineal title was on the line. Numerous outlets (Boxing Monthly, USA Today, The Ring, The Transnational Ranking Board, Boxing Scene, Fightnews, BoxRec, PBO computerized rankings, etc.) did not have them as number one and number two, and with the loss I imagine that Crolla may have slightly dropped in some rankings. By the way, I notice that Boxing News still has Barroso as the #4 lightweight, which is utterly laughable.

Current world champions at 135:

WBA: Linares
WBC: Zlaticanin
IBF: Easter
WBO: Flanagan
Lineal: No consensus

All the marbles indeed.

Yes, I know boxrec has a thing for Dejan Zlatcanin. I'm sure he is a solid enough boxer and he best Ricky Burns fairly, etc etc.

I've been on here for years and I've done this myself, getting carried away when a visitor beats a domestic fighter I don't like. For me it was Yuri Romanov and Tshifhiwa Munyai...

There you go making it about Zlaticanin again, even though I simply mentioned him and other champions to point out the division's title distribution. It's very strange that you keep going on about him, because he's not generally hyped to be a monster at all, but rather someone who has a legitimate claim to one of the top spots in the division, and someone who is reasonably given a fair chance of beating people like Crolla and Linares.

My main point was plenty of dispute to Linares and Crolla being the #1 and #2, so I can't agree with you that the lineal was on the line. The major title distribution at 135 is:

WBC:Zlat
WBA: Linares
WBO: Flanagan
IBF: Easter
Lineal: No consensus

So contrary to what some wanted us to believe, the division and its titles are wide open, and it's not at all the case that Linares-Crolla was for all the marbles. We've got those four champions, along with Crolla, Mikey Garcia, Felix Verdejo, Richard Commey, Denis Shafikov, and if he's still at 135 Rances Barthelemy.

He seems to be the undercurrent to every Linares or Crolla topic.