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amateur boxing

USA Boxing Announces USA vs. Ireland Northeast Boxing Tour

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Top amateur boxers to compete in three cities throughout March
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (January 29, 2018) — USA Boxing announced today the three cities that will host the 2018 USA vs. Ireland Northeast Boxing Tour.
Boston, Manchester (NH) and Springfield (MA) will welcome two of the world’s top amateur boxing teams for friendly duals. Each city will showcase up to 12 bouts, that will all be live streamed, free of charge, on USA Boxing’s website.
The tour will kick off March 12 at Boston’s Royale Entertainment Complex, followed by matchups on March 15 at the MassMutual Center in Springfield, Mass. Manchester will close out the duals on March 21 at The Manchester Downtown Hotel. Boxing will begin at 7:00 p.m. EST in all three cities, and tickets will be made available for purchase in the coming weeks.
The American delegation will be led by Head Coach Billy Walsh (Colorado Springs, CO), who represented Ireland at the 1988 Olympics before becoming the head of the Irish boxing program for over 10 years.
Headlining Team USA’s roster will be 2017 World Championship bronze medalist Troy Isley (Alexandria, VA). USA Boxing’s team will also include a number of up-and-comers such as 2016 Youth World Champion Marc Castro (Fresno, CA), who is making his highly anticipated international elite debut this year.
Other American’s include 2016 Youth World Champion and 2017 Elite Continental Championships silver medalist, Delante Johnson (Cleveland, OH), 2017 USA Boxing Heavyweight National Champion Jared Anderson (Toledo, OH) and 2016 Youth World Championship bronze medalist and 2017 USA Boxing Super Heavyweight National Champion, Richard Torrez (Tulare, CA). A full roster for each city will be released closer to the start of the tour.
The Irish team, which will be under the guidance of former world champion and head coach Bernard Dunne, will announce their boxers at the conclusion of its National Championships in February.
USA vs. Ireland Schedule
March 12: Royale Entertainment Complex, Boston, Mass.
March 15: MassMutual Center, Springfield, Mass.
March 21: The Manchester Downtown Hotel, Manchester, N.H.
All boxers and bouts are subject to change.
INFORMATION:
Twitter: @USABoxing
Instagram: @USABoxing
Facebook: /USABoxing
boxing, UK Boxing

BURNS: I’VE GOT MORE CHAPTERS TO WRITE IN MY CAREER

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The ‘Rickster’ relishing battle of Britain in Manchester
Former World champions clash as Anthony Crolla takes on Ricky Burns.THIS SATURDAY, October, 7th
LIVE on AWE – A Wealth of Entertainment
SAN DIEGO (October 5, 2017) -Ricky Burns believes he can become a World champion once again and wants to prove there’s plenty of chapters to write in his story as he meets Anthony Crolla at the Manchester Arena on Saturday.

THIS SATURDAY AFTERNOON, October 7th, a pair of former world champions will collide as former lightweight world champion Anthony Crolla battles former three-division  champion Ricky Burns in a scheduled 12-round lightweight clash at the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England, and will be broadcast LIVE & EXCLUSIVELY IN THE UNITED STATES  on  AWE- A Wealth of Entertainment.  The broadcast will begin at 2 PM ET / 11 am PT
 
The fight will also be available on www.klowdtv.com on the AWE Channel.
Three-weight World champion Burns and former Lightweight World ruler Crolla both come into the must-win bout on the back of defeats in unification battles, and the British stars have conceded that defeat would make the road back to the elite-level that they have become accustomed to operating at a long one. 
Burns created history as Scotland’s first ever three-weight king and the Coatbridge star is confident that a win in Manchester would put him back at the top table and in the running for a 14th World title fight in 2018 to continue his remarkable journey in boxing.
“I look at every fight as a must-win fight,” said Burns. “The incentive that has been put in front of us with the possibility of challenging for the World title again, I need to make sure that I go out and win this which I am confident of doing.”
“This is my first time fighting in Manchester so I am sure it’s going to be a great night for the fans. I’ve got so much respect for Anthony, he’s a brilliant fighter and this is going to be a cracking fight.”
“We’re both in the same boat now, coming back after a loss and looking to get our names back amongst the big boys. There were a few names mentioned for my next fight but this was the only fight that I wanted once I knew it could be made.”
“I know that there’s a good crowd coming down from Glasgow but any boxing fan is going to win with this fight, you know what you are going to get when we fight, we’ll lay it all on the line and the best man will win.”
“People are saying to me now ‘if you lose this what are you going to do?’ That thought hasn’t crossed my mind. I know this is a hard fight but the carrot of a possible World title fight means that the rewards are massive, but I didn’t need any more incentive for this fight, that just topped it off for me.”
“Over the last year everyone has asked when I am going to retire over the last year. I’ve had 48 fights but I’ve never come out of the ring with my face in a state, I still enjoying training and the sparring and fighting side of it are the best parts in my eyes.”
“If there ever came a point that I was coming out hurt fight after fight, or in the gym sparring these young hungry kids and taking too many punches, I’d know myself that it’d be time to call it a day, but I know that I’ve got lots of big nights left in me and I am confident that Saturday is going to be one of them.”
“I’ve never thought about what I’ve done in my career because it’s nowhere near finished yet. I’m not retiring until boxing is out of my system. The last thing I want to do is pack it in too early and then a year down the line want to come back. I won’t be done until I hate training and I am fed up with dieting.”
“I may have over-achieved in some people’s eyes, but I’ve worked my arse off to get to where I have. People see you turn up and fight but only those closest to you see what I do two or three times a day, seven days a week for 12 weeks before a fight, I knock my pan in.”
“Look who Anthony has boxed over the last two years, he’s only boxed the best. He’s lost to Linares but he went 24 rounds and he wasn’t knocked out or badly hurt at all. You are losing to guys at the elite level, these are incredible fighters and this is my job, if you have a rough day at the office you come back again the next day and make sure you are better.”
“I’ve always admitted that I’m not the best boxer ever, but if you are going to beat me, you’re going to have to be really good or you will have to work for it because the way I train I am confident I will be there at a great pace for the full 12 rounds and my mental toughness is one of my best attributes.”
Burns and Crolla clash on a huge night of action in Manchester as Sam Eggington defends his European Welterweight title for the first time against mandatory challenger Mohamed Mimoune and Robbie Barrett also makes a maiden defence against a mandatory predator as he puts his British Lightweight strap on the line against undefeated Lewis Ritson.
Some of Britain’s brightest stars from both sides of the border are in action with Crolla’s trainer Joe Gallagher having a busy night with Scotty Cardle, Hosea Burton, Marcus Morrison and Sam Hyde all gloving up, while Burns is joined by fellow countrymen Charlie Flynn and Joe Ham.
Former World Bantamweight title challenger Gavin McDonnell looks to get back in line for a second crack at the big one, rising Welterweight star Conor Benn fights for the ninth time in the paid ranks and local talents Jake Haigh and Ryan Doyle also feature.
boxing

ANTHONY CROLLA VS RICKY BURNS PROMOTIONAL VIDEOS

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Former World champions clash as Anthony Crolla takes on Ricky Burns on Saturday October, 7th
LIVE on AWE – A Wealth of Entertainment
SAN DIEGO (September 22, 2017) -Below are promotional videos for the October 7th fight between former world champions Anthony Crolla and Ricky Burns.
On Saturday afternoon, October 7th, A pair of former world champions will collide as former lightweight world champion Anthony Crolla battles former three-division  champion Ricky Burns in a scheduled 12-round lightweight clash at the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England, and will be broadcast LIVE & EXCLUSIVELY IN THE UNITED STATES  on  AWE- A Wealth of Entertainment.  The broadcast will begin at 2 PM ET /11 am PT
 
The fight will also be available on www.klowdtv.com on the AWE Channel.
Crolla vs Burns Promotional Video number 1
Crolla vs Burns Promotional Video number 1
Crolla vs Burns Burns Promotional video number 2
Crolla vs Burns Burns Promotional video number 2
About AWE LIVE BOXING

AWE LIVE Boxing features live world title championship and elimination bouts showcasing today’s most exciting fighters. Since the inception of AWE’s live boxing events in 2011, AWE has featured over 50 world title fights.

AWE has brought boxing fans some of the most exciting and controversial bouts, including the matchup of Ricky Burns against Ray Beltran for the world title. AWE featured live and exclusively the crowning of American Terence Crawford over Ricky Burns. AWE fans have witnessed the explosive power of undefeated heavyweight Tyson Fury multiple times on the network, including Fury’s victory over Kevin Johnson.  In 2017, AWE was the exclusive United States television provider of the historic matchup between legendary British heavyweight David Haye and Tony Bellew.

About AWE – A Wealth of Entertainment

A Wealth of Entertainment (“AWE”) features a wide range of lifestyles and entertainment programming from exotic travel and outrageous homes to live world championship boxing. AWE is available on over a hundred cable systems, including AT&T U-Verse, ch 147 and 1147 in HD, Verizon FiOS TV, ch 169 and 669 in HD. and DirecTV, ch 387.
For more information, please visit www.awetv.com.
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Former World champions clash as Anthony Crolla takes on Ricky Burns on Saturday October, 7th 

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LIVE on AWE – A Wealth of Entertainment
SAN DIEGO (September 8, 2017) -On Saturday afternoon, October 7th, A pair of former world champions will collide as former lightweight world champion Anthony Crolla battles former three-division  champion Ricky Burns in a scheduled 12-round lightweight clash at the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England, and will be broadcast LIVE & EXCLUSIVELY IN THE UNITED STATES  on AWE- A Wealth of Entertainment.
 
The fight will also be available on www.klowdtv.com on the AWE Channel.
“This will be a terrific bout with both Anthony Crolla and Ricky Burns looking to make a statement and get back into title contention.  These two champions are both itching to get their belts back so when they meet on October 7th, it will be a fight at the highest level and quality and we at AWE are ecstatic to be bringing this fight to the fans in the United States,” said Charles Herring, President of AWE– A Wealth of Entertainment.
Crolla, 30 years-old of Manchester, England has a record of 31-6-3 with 13 knockouts.  He won the WBA Lightweight title when he thrilled his hometown fans by scoring a one-punch body shot knockout over Darleys Perez.  Crolla defended the title with a hard-fought come from behind stoppage over Ismael Barroso.  Crolla dropped the belt when he was on the short end of a unanimous decision to Jorge Linares.  In his last bout, Crolla lost his 2nd straight unanimous decision to Linares in a rematch that took place on March 25th in Manchester.
Burns of Coatbridge, Scotland has a record of 41-6-1 with 14 knockouts.  On September 4, 2010, Burns won the WBO Junior Lightweight World championship with a 12-round unanimous decision over Roman Martinez.  Burns made three successful defenses of his title, before moving up to lightweight and capturing the WBO Interim Lightweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision over Michael Katsidis.  Burns was elevated to full champion and went on to score wins over former world champion Paulus Moses, Kevin Mitchell and undefeated challenger Jose Gonzalez, as a well as a draw with top contender Ray Beltran before losing his crown to the classy  Terence Crawford.  Burns became a three-division champion as he won the WBA Super Lightweight World Championship on May 28, 2016 with a unanimous decision over Michele Di Rocco.  He defended the title once with a 12-round unanimous decision over Kiryl Relikh before dropping the title in his last bout to undefeated Julius Indongo on April 15thin Glasgow, Scotland.
Crolla Quotes
“All I want to do is be involved in big fights and Ricky Burns is a three weight World Champion, I’ve got a lot of respect for him,” said Crolla. “He’s a great fighter and only lost to the very best.
“I’m looking forward to going to battle and putting on a display for the fans.

“It’s at a good time for both of us. A win puts us back in the mix for titles, I’m not going to say the loser has nowhere to go, but it’s going to be a tough road back. We’re both coming off losing our World Titles and the incentive is to win the fight and get back in the frame.

“I could have a tune up fight on the undercard of somewhere and an easier opponent to get me back into things and then a big fight after but I’m not interested in that.

“It’s nearly happened before a good few times, a few years ago at Super-Featherweight and again at Lightweight. It’s been talked about for years now. It looked like it wasn’t going to happen but it’s good now we’re finally going to meet.”

“I’m really happy the fight is in Manchester,” said Crolla. “It’s going to be one of the first shows since that horrible night with the bombings so it means an awful lot to go back. A lot of people have been asking me to come back to the Arena for my next fight. But if there’s a rematch, I’ll happily go to Glasgow.

“The 24 rounds with Linares puts me in good stead. They weren’t fights where I took a serious beating with huge shots bouncing my head back. Other than the knockdown, I wasn’t on wobbly legs. I enjoyed the experience. I made improvements in the build-up which I didn’t get to show on the night which is a credit to Jorge.

“I’ve got nothing against Ricky, he’s a good guy. But once that bell goes we’ll both be willing to dig deep. I’ve wanted this for a long time, I can’t wait.”
Burns Quotes

“It’s going to be a great fight,” said Burns. “There was a lot of talk in recent weeks, the response we got was unbelievable. People want to see it and now the deal is done I’m looking forward to it.

“It doesn’t bother me where I fight, there will be a good crowd coming down from Scotland. It’s a fight the fans have been getting up for and I’m sure they will turn up in their numbers.

“When I held World titles at Super-Featherweight and Lightweight, Crolla’s name was always mentioned but it never happened. He’s a great guy and a great fighter, I don’t think you’ll get much trash talk in the build-up. The best man will win on the night.

“I moved up to Super-Lightweight because the World title came up and the chance to make history was there. I’ve been making 140lbs too easily and I’ve had enough notice for this fight and although those last pounds will always be tricky I’m happy to be back down at 135lbs.

“I’m always saying to Tony I think I’ve got two or three more years left. At this stage of my career I don’t see the point in getting an easy win. I’d rather go in with a big name. If I win, I’m going to progress and hopefully get another title shot. That’s the way I’m looking at it.

“Everyone keeps asking me how long I have left. The first time I take too many punches or turn up to training and don’t enjoy it – that’s it. I won’t put myself through it. Especially with training down in Essex for 12 weeks, but at the minute I’m really looking forward to it.

“I said to Eddie Hearn that I was 100 per cent up for it, but we’ve been waiting for a couple of weeks from their side so I don’t know what’s been going on.

“Crolla just fell short with Linares, although he lost twice he didn’t take a beating. You’ve got to hold your hands up – Linares is very good.

“It’s a make or break fight for the both of us. Even before I fought Di Rocco I always said I just want to take it one fight at a time. I’ve been the same the whole way through my career but fingers crossed a win here can lead to bigger things.

“It’s going to be hard, tough fight. The two of us will come out and go for it – the fans are the real winners.”

“What a fight between two great warriors'” said promoter Eddie Hearn. “Both Anthony and Ricky are in similar places in the careers and they know that this absolute must win. Knowing these two like I do this is going to be a fight until the finishing bell with neither taking a backward step. It’s an all-British super fight between two great World champions and fans in the Manchester Arena and watching on Sky Sports can expect a wonderful event.”

About AWE LIVE BOXING

AWE LIVE Boxing features live world title championship and elimination bouts showcasing today’s most exciting fighters. Since the inception of AWE’s live boxing events in 2011, AWE has featured over 50 world title fights.

AWE has brought boxing fans some of the most exciting and controversial bouts, including the matchup of Ricky Burns against Ray Beltran for the world title. AWE featured live and exclusively the crowning of American Terence Crawford over Ricky Burns. AWE fans have witnessed the explosive power of undefeated heavyweight Tyson Fury multiple times on the network, including Fury’s victory over Kevin Johnson.  In 2017, AWE was the exclusive United States television provider of the historic matchup between legendary British heavyweight David Haye and Tony Bellew.

About AWE – A Wealth of Entertainment

A Wealth of Entertainment (“AWE”) features a wide range of lifestyles and entertainment programming from exotic travel and outrageous homes to live world championship boxing. AWE is available on over a hundred cable systems, including AT&T U-Verse, ch 147 and 1147 in HD, Verizon FiOS TV, ch 169 and 669 in HD. and DirecTV, ch 387.
boxing, UK Boxing

Petr Petrov to host Q and A, TOMORROW at 12 PMnoon Eastern time live on Twitter

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WBO World Lightweight Championship Bout streamed LIVE exclusively in the United States on Twitter this Saturday

 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WBO number-two ranked lightweight in the world, Petr Petrov will be taking questions from boxing fans live on @BannerBoxing at 12 PM Eastern time on Friday.  Petrov will take on undefeated WBO world Lightweight champion Terry Flanagan on Saturday in a fight that can be streamed exclusively in the United States on Twitter.
Fans can ask Petrov questions on @BannerBoxing by using any of the following hashtags:
#Petrov
#Boxing
#AndNew
#FlanaganPetrov
#BannerPromotions

The live stream of Saturday’s Championship fight will be available for free to logged-in and logged-out users exclusively on Twitter and connected devices in the United States. Access to the live stream will be available Saturday night at boxing.twitter.com and on @BannerBoxing. Follow at @BannerBoxing to find out the exact timing of the live stream in the coming days.
boxing, UK Boxing

Terry Flanagan – Petr Petrov Press Conference Photos

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WBO World Lightweight Championship Bout LIVE on Twitter this Saturday
Below are images from Thursday’s Press conference featuring WBO Lightweight world champion Terry Flanagan and number-2 contender Petr Petrov.  Flanagan and Petrov will meet this Saturday, and the fight will be streamed in the United States Live on Twitter.

The live stream of Saturday’s Championship fight will be available for free to logged-in and logged-out users exclusively on Twitter and connected devices in the United States. Access to the live stream will be available Saturday night at boxing.twitter.com and on @BannerBoxing. Follow at @BannerBoxing to find out the exact timing of the live stream in the coming days.
(Click Pictures to enlarge)

Photos by Kyte Monroe
boxing, UK Boxing

Birthday Boy Petr Petrov finishing up training camp in Madrid, Spain

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Madrid Spain (March 28, 2017)–WBO Lightweight world title challenger Petr Petrov arrived in his hometown of Madrid, Spain to finish up preparations for his April 8th world title bout with undefeated world champion Terry Flanagan at the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England.
Petrov arrived Sunday, and has been hard at work with head trainer Danny Zamora. To prove that Petrov is clearly only focused on winning this world title,, he put in two hard workout’s on Tuesday, which just happens to be his 34th birthday.
“I am so focused and I can’t wait for this fight,” said Petrov. “There is no time for parties and cake now.  That will come after the fight, as I will have plenty of reasons to celebrate, one would be my birthday and the other will be for winning the world championship.”
Petrov will continue to train in his homeland until he leaves for Manchester early next week.  Petrov finished up the California leg of his training camp this past Friday before leaving for Madrid.
boxing, Showtime, Showtime Boxing, UK Boxing

JORGE LINARES DEFENDS WBA LIGHTWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SATURDAY ON SHOWTIME BOXING INTERNATIONAL® FROM MANCHESTER ENGLAND

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Win Sets Up A Possible Unification Fight With WBC World Champion Mikey Garcia; Encore Presentation of Tonight’s Fight Airs at 10 p.m. ET/PT on SHO EXTREME®

 

Photos Courtesy: Lawrence Lustig/Matchroom Sport

https://cbs.box.com/s/2fx8r5fs49rxny6vx26aiva5jj7qoxzu

NEW YORK (March 25, 2017) – Jorge Linares defended his WBA Lightweight World Championship with a unanimous decision victory over Anthony Crolla Saturday evening on SHOWTIME BOXING INTERNATIONAL from Manchester, England.  The win sets Linares up for a possible unification fight with WBC Lightweight World Champion Mikey Garcia, a matchup that would be considered one of the best that can be made in any weight class.

Saturday’s main event from Manchester Arena aired live on SHOWTIME.  Live fight coverage was provided by Sky Sports with Adam Smith calling play-by-play and world champion Carl Froch serving as ringside analyst.  Garcia joined SHOWTIME Sports host Brian Custer and analysts Al Bernstein and Paul Malignaggi to provide commentary from a New York studio.

Linares and Crolla previously fought a fierce, closely contested battle last September, one that Linares won by just a few rounds.  On Saturday, Linares retained the belt by a wide margin—118-109 on all three scorecards—virtually outclassing Crolla from the outset.

“He seems to be getting better with age,” said Froch, sharing a growing sentiment among boxing pundits.

Linares (42-3, 27 KO’s) cruised through much of the fight with an impressive display of boxing skill and power.  A precisely timed uppercut floored Crolla in the seventh.  Moments later Linares nearly finished him with a flurry against the ropes.  Crolla, however, would not go quietly.  The Manchester native, perhaps spurned by his home crowd, bravely grew more aggressive in the second half of the fight.  But Linares was simply too sharp, too fast and too comfortable for Crolla to overcome.

Mikey Garcia is coming off a brilliant knockout of world champion Dejan Zlaticanin in January and is hungry for a unification bout.

“First off, I congratulate Jorge Linares for a great win,” said Garcia.  “His skill, flexibility, combinations and power were definitely impressive.  I hope we can make a fight as soon as possible.  He didn’t look cut or hurt so maybe we can fight this summer.”

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JORGE LINARES vs. ANTHONY CROLLA FINAL PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES & PHOTOS FOR LIGHTWEIGHT TITLE REMATCH THIS SATURDAY LIVE ON SHOWTIME®

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SHOWTIME BOXING INTERNATIONAL® Airs Live at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT from Manchester Arena in Manchester, England

 

Click HERE For Photos; Credit Lawrence Lustig/Matchroom

 

 

Jorge Linares and Anthony Crolla held a final press conference on Thursday in Manchester, England, for their rematch this Saturday for the WBA Lightweight World Championship, live on SHOWTIME (6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT) from Manchester Arena.

 

Linares (41-3, 27 KOs) dethroned Crolla (31-5-3, 13 KOs) in a close, back-and-forth battle last September in Manchester to capture the WBA crown.  The Sept. 24 match was the first time the three-division titlist Linares was pushed the 12-round distance in his nine career world title fights.

 

Crolla has had success in immediate rematches.  In 2015, he challenged Darley Perez for the WBA Lightweight Title and fought to a draw.  Four months later, he knocked out Perez in five rounds to win the 135-pound title.

 

WBC Lightweight World Champion Mikey Garcia will join the SHOWTIME BOXING INTERNATIONAL announce team as a guest analyst alongside host Brian Custer and analysts Al Bernstein and Paulie Malignaggi.

 

Garcia (36-0, 30 KOs), who won the WBC belt in emphatic fashion this January on SHOWTIME, may be scouting his future opponent – the WBC has mandated that the winner of Linares-Crolla II must face Garcia.

 

Here’s what the fighters had to say at Thursday’s press conference:

 

JORGE LINARES:

“I know once again I have everyone against me in his backyard, but that’s why I trained hard.

 

“I’m not coming in here feeling like the champion.  I’m coming in here feeling like the challenger because I know I have to win very clear to go back home with a win.

 

“It’s going to be a different Crolla this time.  I have to perform like I know I can to defend my belts.

 

“I had a great camp.  I’m anxious.  I can’t wait to show you on Saturday night, put it all together and return home with my belts.”

 

ANTHONY CROLLA:

 

“I’ve always been better going in as the underdog.  I know on Saturday night I’m going to need to be the very best Anthony Crolla to beat Jorge Linares.  I really believe that if I show the improvements that I’ve made in the gym then I’ll get my belt back.

 

“I hope he comes in looking for the knockout.  If Jorge comes looking for the knockout he breaks away from what he’s best at.  And, if he does so, I believe it falls right into my hands.

 

“I’ve got to be cutting off the ring quicker this time.  I’ve got to respond in bunches a little bit more.  There are so many obstacles that are going to be put in front of me from Jorge Linares, but I believe I will have an answer for every one of them.

 

“It was one of the fights of the year last time.  I can certainly see us both being even better this time.

 

“There’s a lot of people out there who think there is no way I can beat Jorge Linares, but I believe on Saturday night I’ll prove an awful lot of people wrong.”

 

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JORGE LINARES vs. ANTHONY CROLLA MEDIA WORKOUT QUOTES & PHOTOS FOR LIGHTWEIGHT TITLE REMATCH THIS SATURDAY LIVE ON SHOWTIME®

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SHOWTIME BOXING INTERNATIONAL® Airs Live at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT from Manchester Arena in Manchester, England

 

Watch The Full First Fight On SHO Sports YouTube Channel: http://s.sho.com/2m1x6TV

 

Click HERE For Photos; Credit Lawrence Lustig/Matchroom

 

WBA Lightweight World Champion Jorge Linares and former champion Anthony Crolla participated in a public workout at National Football Museum in Manchester, England on Tuesday in preparation for their rematch this Saturday, live on SHOWTIME (6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT) from Manchester Arena.

 

Linares (41-3, 27 KOs) dethroned Crolla (31-5-3, 13 KOs) in an action-packed battle last September in Manchester to capture the WBA crown.  Crolla and Linares were neck-and-neck going into the sixth round until Linares rocked the hometown favorite with a series of shots that galvanized the Venezuelan toward a close 115-114, 115-113 and 117-111 unanimous decision.

 

The Sept. 24 match was the first time the three-division titlist Linares, who also holds the WBC Diamond and Ring Magazine lightweight belts, was pushed the 12-round distance in his career.

 

The WBC has mandated that the winner of Linares-Crolla II must face undefeated WBC Lightweight Champion Mikey Garcia, who will join host Brian Custer and analysts Al Bernstein and Paulie Malignaggi in New York for the SHOWTIME BOXING INTERNATIONAL presentation.

 

Below are fight week quotes from Linares and Crolla:

 

JORGE LINARES:

 

“Crolla could come better prepared than last time.  Maybe he will throw more punches, maybe he will box more, I don’t really know. The most important thing is I hope he has worked really hard and comes in great condition so there are no excuses and no doubts after the fight.

 

“I can fight even better this time.  Before the first fight I had a broken right hand and I hadn’t fought for a while. That’s always a factor, you know?   Inactivity.  I haven’t had any issues physically or mentally, so the preparation has been great.  We did 129 rounds of sparring and everything has gone well up to this point.

 

“I know he has been quiet in the build-up, I don’t mind if he hasn’t spoken much lately.  Let’s just hope it’s a clean fight like the first one.”

 

“The plans are in the future to get the biggest fights.  Obviously the priority right now is to stay focused on Saturday but then I’ll look towards the big fights like against Mikey Garcia.

 

“I really think coming to train with Ismael Salas made the difference.  It’s what helped me really establish myself as a professional fighter and to gain more experience.  We learn ‘old school’ as Salas always says.  It really has worked well for me in the two years I’ve been with him.”

 

“I feel really good because this time we had a lot more time to prepare.  We did some of the training camp in Japan and then eight weeks in Las Vegas.

 

“I’m happy to be back here in England again and have another opportunity.  I get treated very well, I feel comfortable fighting here.  The fans here have a lot of boxing knowledge and they know me well.  It’s nice, I feel at home.”

 

ANTHONY CROLLA:

 

“It will be another good fight, that’s for sure.  Our styles gel really well and I don’t see how it can’t be another good fight, but this time I see a different winner.  The key will be adapting.  I might need to adapt a number of times in the fight but it is something I have trained for.

 

“I learned a lot from that fight.  Linares has very good speed, very good ring craft and he used his big fight experience for when to take a rest, when to turn it on for the judges.

 

“This time I know I need to deal with the flashy combinations better, cut the ring off better and capitalize when he is open for shots.

 

“He has said he will come with another game plan but so will we.  Last time I gave it everything, left it all in the ring, but I came up short.  The right man won on the night and now I have a second chance at winning back the belt and beating a great fighter.

 

“I was disappointed I lost – you should never be happy with losing – but I was satisfied I gave everything on the night.  When I watched it again there were things in the fight where I thought, ‘why didn’t I do this, why didn’t I do that’, but that is what I did do in the heat of the battle.

 

“You see people online saying Linares is a level above and that he outclassed me – he obviously didn’t outclass me because two of the judges only had a point in it.  The right man won and now I need to show my improvements and make sure the result is different.

 

“Last time out in Manchester I lost a close fight but with the improvements I have been making in the gym I believe this time it will be a different result.

 

“The rematch was always top of my list.  Linares is top of the pile in the lightweight division and if there was a chance of having a rematch that was always more important to me than any other fight.  I want to fight the best and be involved in the big fights and that’s what this is.

 

“I want the chance to stake my claim as the best lightweight in the world by going out there and beating him.

 

“I wasn’t going to turn down a rematch to try and ease myself back into title contention.  I want these big fights; these big nights in Manchester are what I thrive on.

 

“I feel better than I have ever felt.  Camp has gone really well and there will certainly be no excuses.  I have had no distractions outside of camp and everything is good.  It is a matter now of showing in the ring tonight the improvements I have been showing in the gym.

 

“I have had no social life for the past few months and I will walk to the ring knowing that, knowing I have prepared in the best way I possibly can. There will be no ‘what if I had done this’, ‘what if I had done that’ – I have prepared the best I possibly can.”