Darleys Perez vs. Anthony Crolla: Fight Time, Date, Live Stream and TV Info
Anthony Crolla gets a second crack at WBA lightweight champion Darleys Perez on Saturday.
Crolla was left with a bitter taste in his mouth after the first meeting. The local lad believed he had done enough over the 12 rounds to win the belt in Manchester, England, back in July.
However, the judges did not agree. While one official scored the bout 116-111 in the challenger's favour, the other two had it 113-113 (it was incorrectly announced that Perez had won 114-113 on one of the cards).
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The majority draw meant Perez—who twice had points deducted for low blows—retained his title.
Crolla's promoter, Eddie Hearn, appealed against the decision. The WBA agreed with his protests, ordering the two fighters to meet again in an immediate rematch.
Also on the bill, Tyrone Nurse and Chris Jenkins meet in a rematch of their own for the vacant British super lightweight title. Ryan Burnett also gets the chance to become a British champion, as the bantamweight takes on the experienced Jason Booth.
When: Saturday, November 21, at 10:40 p.m. GMT (5:40 p.m. ET)
Where: Manchester Arena, Manchester, England
TV: Sky Sports (UK), AWE (United States)
Live Stream: SkyGo (UK)
Hungry Champion
Perez returns to Manchester looking to put on a better performance second time around.
The Colombian—who represented his country at the 2008 Olympic Games—struggled to come to terms with Crolla in the first meeting, leading to his frustrations boiling over.
Yet had he not been punished two points for illegal blows, he would have been victorious on English soil.
Perez accepts he made mistakes, per World Boxing News:
"There is no doubt that I would have won the fight by unanimous decision if I didn't get deducted for those low blows.
It was my fault and I won't make the same mistakes in the rematch.
I'm hungrier now then I've ever been and nothing is going to stop me from bringing back my title to my countrymen of Colombia.
"
Perez (32-1-1, 20 KOs) was defending the WBA title for the first time against Crolla. He had been upgraded from his position as interim champion after Richar Abril was stripped of the title due to inactivity.
Perez's solitary career defeat came against Yukoris Gamboa in 2013, when a points defeat ended his perfect record after 28 fights.
The 32-year-old is smaller than Crolla (5'7" compared to 5'8 ½") but has a reach advantage (70” over 67”) that could come in handy.
At least this time, Perez should know what to expect, though Paul Smith believes the atmosphere for the rematch will be even better.
The boxer turned television pundit—who works alongside Crolla in trainer Joe Gallagher's gym—told Sky Sports: "The Manchester Arena last time was special, but given what I thought was a joke of a decision in the first fight, it is going to be even louder, even more emotional this time around."
Second Time Around
Crolla (29-4-3, 11 KOs) came close to completing a fairytale comeback against Perez.
The July bout was the Mancunian’s first outing since he suffered serious injuries trying to foil a robbery near his home in December.
"Million Dollar"—who suffered a fractured skull and a broken ankle—had been due to fight former champion Abril before he was attacked, but instead had to wait to find out if he would even be able to box again.
Thankfully, Crolla was cleared for action in March. Considering all that he had been through prior to the bout, his performance against Perez was impressive.
It was also striking how well he dealt with the disappointment of the result.
Per James Robson of the Manchester Evening News, the 29-year-old said in the immediate aftermath: "I thought I definitely did enough, but I’m not going to sit around crying."
Crolla now gets the chance to make amends for what he and promoter Hearn felt was an incorrect verdict.
He is expecting the second clash with the South American to be fiery, telling Sky Sports: "This time I feel the fight will be more explosive, with more exchanges and could end up being a bit of a dog-fight at times. It'll be entertaining for the fans and viewers at home."
The challenger won’t mind how the fight pans out. Just over three years ago, Crolla was beaten in the semi-final of a Prizefighter tournament, in Liverpool, England. Now he’s got another opportunity to become a world champion in his own back yard.
The British lightweight scene is crowded right now. Terry Flanagan, who is also from Manchester, currently holds the WBO belt, while Liverpudlian Derry Mathews was the interim WBA champion.
Throw in the talented Luke Campbell, plus two-time world champion Ricky Burns and the experienced Kevin Mitchell, and Crolla can see some big pay-days around the corner if he can get past Perez.
Prediction
Crolla's lack of power—he has managed only 11 knockout wins in 36 bouts—suggests he's going to struggle to stop Perez inside the distance.
He is fully prepared to face an improved champion this time and said, per Matchroom Boxing: "I’ve got to expect a better Perez and I do. I know I have to be better too."
Trainer Gallagher has been a busy man in the week prior to the bout, travelling around on a media tour to promote Scott Quigg's showdown with Carl Frampton next year.
However, Gallagher will have his man prepared for battle.
If he sets the pace and stays out of range, Crolla can finally have his moment in the spotlight. Expect the home favourite to triumph on points.
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