Crolla-Linares talking points

Jorge Linares outclassed and dethroned Anthony Crolla on a thrilling night in Manchester, so what did we learn?

The Boy is Golden

Jorge Linares turned in a performance worthy of an elite pound-for-pound fighter in outpointing Anthony Crolla for the WBA world lightweight title. Any lingering suggestions ‘El Nino de Oro’ was going to allow his career to fade in the aftermath of a hand injury were cast away as he put on a sensational show of hand speed.

The Venezuelan has always been gifted with the ability to produce flashy combinations and show-stopping power, but perhaps what was most impressive about the victory that hushed the Manchester Arena was proof of his physicality. Many expected Crolla’s superb conditioning to allow him to expose Linares late in the bout but the visitor benefited from a second wind after the halfway mark and finished well on top. His clear superiority – punctuated by a huge overhand right that wobbled Crolla in the sixth – was not reflected in the scorecards.

Don’t go to waist

The issue of ‘low’ blows briefly threatened to shroud a truly spectacular fight in controversy. Crolla, wearing his shorts high enough for his waistband to completely obscure his belly button, behaved uncharacteristically in consistently complaining to referee Terry O’Connor about the shots Linares was aiming at his belt line. Vicious they were, low they probably weren’t.

Sky Sports pundit Paulie Malignaggi made clear his concerns at ringside after Linares was warned on two separate occasions for straying south. The fast-talking New Yorker said: “Crolla can’t referee his own fight. The belt is on the belly button. …

continue reading in source www.skysports.com