Crolla is looking to make history against Lomachenko
Anthony Crolla is in a title fight against Vasiliy “Loma” Lomachenko this Friday on ESPN+ and to say that many are writing Crolla off in this battle is a severe understatement.
Crolla (34-6-3, 13 KOs) not only is a huge underdog in his fight against Lomachenko, but many around the United States are even making the mistake of saying his last name as “Corolla”. This Friday night if he can pull off the upset, “Million Dollar” will be moving forward as the new face in what would be one of boxing’s biggest upsets.
Even he knows as much. In an interview with The Ring he stated:
“This fight is a nice payday, a career-high payday, but it’s much more than that. It’s a chance to put my name next to fighters who have scored – and I’m not speaking out of turn here – some of the biggest upsets in British boxing history. That, as a boxing fan, as someone who loves the sport, who lives for the sport, that’s massive motivation for me. I’m not stupid, and I think I know how tough this challenge is, but I’ve drilled myself into the best condition possible. I’m going over there with a plan to shock the world.”
🗣"Motivation for me is attaching my name to one of the biggest upsets in British boxing history." @ant_crolla on his upcoming bout with @VasylLomachenko
📺 3am, Saturday, Sky Sports Main Event pic.twitter.com/23TUs4mYYy
— Sky Sports Boxing (@SkySportsBoxing) April 9, 2019
While Crolla is the underdog in this fight, I think we all forget that this would be his second title reign with the WBA lightweight belt if he can get past Loma. Some also tend to overlook that this challenge for the title is a mandatory one as Crolla has won three straight, the last one being against Daud Youdan in November.
“I’ve been at world-level for a very long time,” said Crolla defensively in the interview for The Ring. “I’ve been in The Ring top 10, which I’m super-proud of, for a number of years. I’ve not been handed this shot, I’ve not been randomly picked or won a raffle. People seem to forget my first fight with Linares because he beat me well in the rematch”
One thing is certain, if he is able to beat Lomachenko Friday night, his nickname will be worth more than a million.
Marquis Johns is a unknown humorist and avid boxing fan. His love for the sweet science goes back to when matches were 15 rounds and has been covering fights since closed-circuit pay-per-views. Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth is not only a quote by Mike Tyson, it's also a pretty good reminder to keep your guard up.
