Anthony Crolla to Write a New Chapter in His Boxing Story Against Ismael Barroso

There were few better boxing stories in 2015 than the journey Anthony Crolla made from hospital bed to world champion.

The fighter from Manchester, England—who defends his WBA lightweight title against Ismael Barroso on May 7—had been due to challenge Richar Abril, the holder of the belt at the time, on Jan. 23, 2015.

However, that plan was ruined when Crolla’s attempts to prevent a burglary left him with a fractured skull and a broken right ankle. Forget about fighting Abril—there were concerns over whether he would even be able to fight again.

Crolla (30-4-3, 12 KOs), though, was not going to see his dream dashed outside of the ring. 

He had worked too hard for that to happen, battling back from a tough loss to compatriot Derry Mathews in 2012 to stand on the brink of a major belt.

His recovery was "remarkable," according to his doctor. Consultant trauma surgeon Sabeen Akhtar told Gareth A Davies of the Telegraph: "He was so close to his world title opportunity in January, such a psychological knock back could really have affected him significantly, but he had such a positive, compliant attitude as a patient, he willed himself to do well. He really pushed himself to the limit."

There was still to be one further setback in his world title bid.

On his return to the ring in July, Crolla produced an impressive performance against Colombian Darleys Perez, who had been promoted from interim champion to replace Abril, but didn’t quite do enough to impress the judges.

A majority draw meant Million Dollar was short-changed at the Manchester Arena.

Dave Thompson/Getty Images

Journalist Jeff Powell opened his fight report for the Daily Mail: "The boxing hero who risked his life to have a go at his neighbour's burglars was the victim of an outrageous late-night robbery in Manchester."

In the rematch, staged at the same venue in November, Crolla made sure there would be no more debates about scorecards. A left hook to the body in Round 5 ended Perez’s reign.

"I've dreamed this dream since I was 10. I didn't know it was going to be this good. It is better than I ever dreamed it would be," Crolla said in the aftermath, per BBC Sport. The local lad had completed his journey to the top in style, becoming a world champion in his backyard. It was a feel-good story that left a lump in the throat.

Now, though, he begins a new chapter in his story.

Winning a world title is one thing. Defending it is a whole new proposition. The hunter has become the hunted. Crolla—who is trained by Joe Gallagher—has a sizeable first hurdle to clear, too.

When Barroso (19-0-2, 18 KOs) arrived in Britain to take on Kevin Mitchell in Dec. 2015, he was an unknown quantity.

His 20-fight unbeaten record was impressive, but he had not met a fighter of any real note.

He was also 32 at the time, raising doubts over his quality: Had he been avoided by the big names or just been padding his record against weak opposition?

It didn't take long to find out the answer.

Mitchell had previously lost to another Venezuelan, former WBC champion Jorge Linares, on a night when he came agonisingly close to winning a world title. However, his second bout against an opponent from the former Spanish colony was just agonisingly painful.

If there had been the suggestion beforehand that Barroso was nothing more than a big-hitting southpaw who lacked any real skill, it soon became clear that wasn't the case.

From the outset, the southpaw looked calculated, not crude. There was a method to the way he worked against Mitchell, all while he waited to detonate a big left hand at some stage.

But it ended up being a right jab that led to the beginning of the end. Mitchell was knocked down in the final minute of Round 5, and while he climbed off the canvas, he was stopped soon after.

Crolla was ringside at the O2 Arena in London to see the action unfold. His hopes of a domestic showdown with Mitchell—who has since retired—disappeared, and instead he was left with the prospect of facing the WBA's dangerous new interim champion, Barroso.

He is full of praise for his first challenger, telling Matchroom Boxing:

"

The suggestion that I would duck him got my back up a bit. When you are champion you fight the best challengers out there and that’s what I see in Barroso. I am looking forward to us both putting on a fantastic fight. We know he can bang and that is why everyone avoids him, but I believe I have got the tools to beat him and he’s not taking my belt.

"

A fight with WBO champion Terry Flanagan—his fellow Mancunian who just so happened to attend the same school as Crolla, as Flanagan confirmed to Nick Parkinson of ESPN.co.uk—was a lucrative alternative option.

Per David Anderson of the Mirror, promoter Frank Warren made a £500,000 offer for Crolla to face the winner of the bout between Flanagan and Derry Mathews that took place on March 12.

Flanagan came out on top by unanimous decision, and in the post-match press conference, Turbo confirmed his desire to settle the argument over who is the best at 135 pounds in his home city:

Warren even suggested Crolla should vacate his title to challenge for the WBO version instead, according to Kevin Mitchell of the Guardian.

However, having been through tough times, both in and out of the ring, the 29-year-old had no interest in relinquishing the WBA belt. Per Boxing News 24, he said: "When you work for something so hard and so long, the last thing you want to do is give it up."

Flanagan will have to wait, for now.

Barroso can throw a spanner in the works of a potential all-Manchester fight, but if Crolla didn’t back down from confronting burglars in the street, he isn’t going to duck opponents in the ring.

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