Vasyl Lomachenko v Anthony Crolla

[Spicoli]

I was really wanting that Commey scrap but Crolla is respectable enough and you surely cannot knock a guy for taking his mandatory challenger. I thought Crolla had a pretty sizable wing span and many thought Pedraza would be a blow out but it was a decent entertaining fight wide scores aside. Best thing is it's on 'free' Espn.

[Master]

Anthony Crolla intent on causing almighty upset against lightweight champion Vasyl Lomachenko

Anthony Crolla is acutely aware of Vasyl Lomachenko's reputation as one of the best fighters on the planet but is intent on causing an almighty upset against the unified world lightweight champion.

Crolla has reigned on the world stage before but is an overwhelming underdog with bookmakers to prise the WBA and WBO lightweight titles away from Lomachenko when they meet at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on April 12.

Despite having only 13 professional contests, two-time Olympic gold medallist Lomachenko has won world titles across three weight classes to sit near the top of many observers' mythical pound-for-pound lists.

The Ukrainian's rapid progress owes much to his outstanding in-ring attributes, with his timing, hand speed, athleticism and footwork coming in for particular praise.

While Lomachenko's spectacular rise through the divisions has set pulses racing, Crolla has campaigned at the lightweight limit of 135lbs for most of his career - and he is convinced that will count in his favour next month.

The Mancunian said: "It's a very difficult challenge. I'm not stupid, I'm not deluded, it's a very, very tough fight and it's a very big ask.

"I've got nowhere near as much ability as him. He does almost everything better than me. I'm fighting one of the best pound-for-pound fighters on the planet but I'm excited by all that, I'm not scared in any way by that.

"I'm in a great place and one advantage I have got that night is I believe I am the natural lightweight between us both.

"I think that's an advantage. I don't think he's a 135lber, I think he could still make 130.

"I go in there with a game plan, I always have belief in myself, I'll be in great condition physically and mentally. I genuinely believe I can go in there and find a shot to shock the world.

"It's going to take a career-best performance or punch, I'm a huge underdog. But I'm not going over there for the experience, I'm going over there to shock the world.

"There are very, very few people expecting me to go there and pull off one of the biggest shocks in British boxing history, so I've got nothing to lose in that sense.

"But I have my own expectations and I go over there with the motivation to do that so I want to do everyone around me proud. I want to be remembered forever by doing this."




Crolla has already overcome adversity in his career. In late 2014, he was left with a fractured skull and a broken ankle after confronting two burglars but bounced back to win the WBA lightweight title less than 12 months later.

Despite surrendering his belt to Jorge Linares, who in turn lost to Lomachenko last year, Crolla's points wins over fellow Briton Ricky Burns, Edson Ramirez and Daud Yordan made him mandatory challenger for his old title.

The 32-year-old said: "I've come back from dark places, tough places and that stands me in good stead for this. To win on April 12 I need a bigger effort than what I've been through before.

"That's something that I thrive off, it's not something that I'm worried about. I think everything that I've been through in my career has just prepared me for nights like this.

"I'm not suggesting I'm a pound-for-pound fighter but I believe I'm world class - I've won a world title, I've beaten world champions in my last few fights and beaten world-rated fighters.

"It's just that there happens to be a fantastic fighter who is the world champion. This is what you work so hard for, this is what you first come into boxing for - to test yourself against the very best."

https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/news/ant...154900031.html

[Master]

Staples Center, Los Angeles, California - Vasiliy Lomachenko v Anthony Crolla (WBA Super and WBO world lightweight titles)

Vasyl Lomachenko will defend his WBA (Super), WBO, and The Ring lightweight titles against Anthony Crolla when the pair meet in Los Angeles, California next month.

Crolla will be looking to become a two-time world champion in the division but faces a task of some magnitude when he takes on The Independent's pound-for-pound king in Lomachenko, with the Ukrainian a consecutive Olympic gold medal winning amateur in 2008 and 2012.

Manchester-born Crolla won the WBA belt in his home city when he knocked out Darleys Perez in 2015 but lost it less than a year later when Jorge Linares came to town and put on a classy performance.

Linares later lost his strap to Lomachenko.



Here's everything you need to know about the big one coming up in LA.

When and where is the fight?

The fight between Lomachenko and Crolla takes place at the Staples Centre in Los Angeles, California on Friday, 12th April. It'll be fight night before you know it.

What time will the ring walks be?

No earlier than 4am, so if you're watching it in the UK you better be prepared to stay up.

What's at stake and what are their records?

For Crolla, not a lot. If he wins then he'll be seen as a great in British boxing and known across the world as the man who dethroned the pound-for-pound king. He'll also get the WBA (Super), WBO and The Ring lightweight belts for his troubles. His professional record is 43 fights, 34 wins, six losses and three draws. He comes in as the much more experienced man in the pro game.

Lomachenko, however, boasts an amateur record of 396 wins to one defeat, and since coming into the pro ranks won a world title in his third fight, a two-weight champion in his seventh and a three-weight world champion in his twelfth. He has lost just once, in his second fight against Orlando Salido and has since gone on to dismantle each of his opponents, boasting a 12-1 record.

What is the full fight schedule?

Gilberto Ramirez vs Tommy Karpency

Arnold Barboza Jr vs Mike Alvarado

Alexander Besputin vs Alfredo Blanco

Janibek Alimkhanuly vs Cristian Olivas

Vijender Singh vs Calvin Metcalf

Guido Vianello vs Lawrence Gabriel

Chris Zavala vs Sergio Gonzales

Elvis Rodriguez vs Kevin Luna

https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/news/lom...124238091.html

[p4pking]

I thought/assumed this fight was in the UK Surely that wouldve made more sense.... This is so unlikely to be anything more than Loma going through the motions, and the undercard looks weak.

[Ron Swanson]

Fights like this will get Loma another fighter of the year award.

[Beanz]

Good article from James Dielhenn explaining how Loma got where he is today

Most fighters are a product of their environment but Vasyl Lomachenko was always destined for bigger things, writes James Dielhenn. He is the incarnation of a successful experiment dreamt up before he was even born.

Peek behind the Iron Curtain and you will find fighters whose backgrounds have shaped them, built them into what they have become. Gennady Golovkin, the Klitschko brothers and a slew of past and present Russian champions have a meanness and a stern disposition that their eastern Europe upbringings instilled. That manifests itself in the ring.




But Lomachenko is different.....


https://www.skysports.com/boxing/new...nko-experiment

[Baal]

How good fight if need talk a robe