Getting to know Jorge Linares

Jorge Linares will challenge for Anthony Crolla’s WBA lightweight title this weekend, live on Sky Sports. But what do we know about the visitor to Crolla’s hometown of Manchester?

This name rings a bell. Have I seen him fight?

Jorge Luis Linares Palencia, to provide his full name, is the big-puncher who ruined Kevin Mitchell’s world title dream.

I remember! That was a terrible night for Mitchell….

Yep. Mitchell had twice lost world title fights and it was supposed to be third-time lucky. He put Linares down early, but Mitchell’s eye was reduced to a swollen mess. The referee stepped in during the 10th round. The boy Linares can punch.

So Linares is good, then?

He is a three-weight world champion, so he’s very good. He has held the WBC featherweight, WBA super-featherweight, and WBC lightweight belts.

Linares’ record is 40-3 – interestingly, he has been stopped in all three of his defeats. He first lost in 2009 after 27 wins, then lost back-to-back in 2011 and 2012. But he’s rebounded with nine wins in a row.

That’s a fairly unique move?

He wasn’t allowed to box professionally in Venezuela until he was 18, so went to Japan to get paid for his work. Then, I suppose, he must have liked …

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