Boxing
William Crolla: "I’m Ready to Restore Manchester as the Capital of British Boxing"
William Crolla, determined to revive Manchester as the capital of British boxing, prepares to fight on the Regis Prograis vs. Jack Catterall undercard.
Image Credits: The Sportsman
William Crolla has made it his personal mission to restore Manchester’s status as the capital of British boxing.
The 26-year-old, whose older brother Anthony is a former world lightweight champion, grew-up watching the likes of his sibling and Ricky Hatton take UK audiences by storm.
A New Manchester Hero Emerges
Now, as he prepares to fight on the undercard of Regis Prograis versus Jack Catterall next month, Crolla wants to give fight fans in the city a new hero to gather around.
“Manchester is itching for someone new to come through,” he told SportsBoom.com.
Manchester needs a boxer who is from Manchester to come through and make it the top fighting city in the country once again.
William Crolla
“We’ve had Michael Brodie in the not-so-distant past. We’ve had Ricky Hatton and my brother, who took the whole thing on to another level.”
“There’s a space now. A gap to be filled. I’ve got the backing of a top promoter, I’m on television and I’ve got the style and the power to get the audiences excited.”
“If it doesn’t happen then, to be honest, it’s down to me and me alone. I can’t blame anyone else. It’s there for me to do and I’m confident I can.”
Reviving Manchester’s Boxing Legacy
Crolla, who has won all four of his last bouts inside the distance, hopes to stretch his unblemished record to six outings when he faces an as yet unnamed opponent at Co-op Live on August 24th.
Crolla’s most recent appearance, against Fabio Cascone, lasted a little over a minute with the Italian being floored by a body shot.
“I’m a proud Mancunian,” continued Crolla, having recently signed a long-term deal with Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom.
“I love where I’m from and wouldn’t have wanted to have been born anywhere else. There’s nowhere else I’d rather be. I’m a Manc through and through.”
Image Credits: Tapology
“I live just around the corner from the venue where I’m up next. Literally, I’m from five minutes down the road.”
“Of course I want to do it for myself. But I want to do it for Manchester as well and that puts even more grit between my teeth. It gives me even more drive.”
“I remember what Ant and Ricky did for this place. I remember when I was younger, walking down the street with Ant, everyone wanted to shake his hand. That’s the effect they had.”
“I was at a great age when Ant was powering Manchester boxing, and I want to be remembered like him and Ricky were. People will know who they are forever.”
The Next Big Thing
Anthony, who defeated Darleys Perez to win the WBA belt in 2015, is now a trainer. William and Rhiannon Dixon, the women’s WBO lightweight champion, are both members of his burgeoning stable.
“I want to be spoken about as the top prospect in the UK,” said Crolla.
“I’m constantly in the gym and my sparring has been against top level guys, here and in the States where I’ve travelled.”
“That’s the company I need to be keeping because it’s the company I believe I’m soon going to be in. I believe that’s the journey I’m on now and I’m really enjoying it.”
Neil has been a journalist for longer than he'd care to remember, having written for national newspapers and respected publications for over 25 years. For the last three years he has worked freelance for BBC Sport, working on the production desk as a sub-editor and also as a writer, covering a whole range of sports.