Anthony Crolla - Shows why Boxing is the hardest of all Sports!!

Young, gifted, good looking guy.....good following....becomes British Champion....riches to come..fame all at his feet....Confidence galore...a golden future...thinks he's special!!!

Loses to a journeyman...exposed!!...feels violated by another man....the future is no longer bright after being exposed by an ordinary fighter who's best days are behind him....feels like his let the whole of his following down.....Confidence shattered...Imagined whispers from people who never rated him all a long...

Not like tennis is it where you can play again next week...

Anthony Crolla shows why Boxing is the hardest and loneliest of all Sports!!!....

Confidence is the main issue from now. He had lost before but not when he felt he had made it. Be interesting to see who he steps in against. Plus he is small for the division. Good fighter though. Didn't look a million dollar though. More fiddy cents.

It certainly is the hardest of all sports, but the boy needs to get his head down and learn from the experience there's far too much emphasis put on keeping an undefeated record when in reality it really does not matter as long he pulls himself together and goes on to great things.

It's more the realisation that you aren't as good as you thought you were and the feeling of violation you feel when someone has beaten you up....

Losing your self respect and the ego that got you there...

No bigger mental-sport..........than Boxing..

Nice article Truss. Have to admit that i was shocked with the loss of Crolla. Sky Sports had "hyped" him up, much like some other fighters. I expected a easy win via KO or UD, especially given the fact he was due to face Erik Morales a few months back. But your right in comparing it to Tennis. Even Golf. You have a bad game, dont make as much money, but you have every chance to make up for it in a week or a month. In boxing, it seems one loss can be such a catastrophe that you end up being back of the line fighting in 8 round undercard fights yet months ago you were the Golden Boy of Sky with high expectations.

Needs to move his head more rather then keep it down

Derry was never going to be a walk in the park, but I think he underestimated him after him being stopped by that Italian.

If he wants to push on, he needs to leave the Gallagher stable. They all seem to adopt the same game plan. Fight face first and within punching range. It was the same with the Stephen Smith fight against Selby. No Plan B. They musn't have done there homework on Selby otherwise he surely would have worked on another plan. Selby has since proved he was no mug, going toe to toe and stopping the teak tough Simpson

Also letting Murray take that much punishment was just painful to watch.

Joe Gallagher won't help is KO rating.

Nice little boxer all the same. Good skills but as mentioned his defence is shocking.

Agree with the above, Gallagher does seem to turn what look like potentially very good boxers into decent but one dimensional fighters.

Very true Truss, a loss in boxing means more than in any other sport.

A boxer puts weeks, months into training for just one fight and if he losses in today's standards it can be disastrous.

In other sports like football, rugby, tennis, motor racing etc and you make a mistake you can redeem yourself just a few days/weeks latter.

Forgive the bump !!..

I remember writing this.....Thought the kid was all bollox and hype and destined for the can !!

I was wrong !!!!!!!!

What a difference a couple of years makes.............

Good luck kid..............Fight of your life on saturday night and win yourself a world title...

You deserve it !!!!

Good little article Truss and is more relevant now as it shows the mental strength you need to compete at the top level.

I think Donaire has a case for this as well, p4p one of the best a few years ago, loses to one of the best ever amateurs and then gets largely forgotten

If Crolla hadn't beeen injured stopping that burglary none of you would still give a frig about his career

I would, he's a brit for one, and a manc for bonus points

On the face of it, someone that loses twice to Gary Sykes and has a draw and a loss to Derry Matthews shouldn't be getting close to a World Title.

Still, good for the lad and best of luck this weekend.

DAVE667 wrote:If Crolla hadn't beeen injured stopping that burglary none of you would still give a frig about his career

Funny thing is the injury might work in his favor.....

Give him more of a chance against Darly boy...

Course he should Toppy, a loss shouldn't stop anything, you knuckle down and improve. fighting harder opposition to give you tests at certain point in your career.

Don't see the point in padding a record with nobodies in all honesty

TopHat24/7 wrote:On the face of it, someone that loses twice to Gary Sykes and has a draw and a loss to Derry Matthews shouldn't be getting close to a World Title.

Still, good for the lad and best of luck this weekend.

First Sykes fight was a long time ago and the second was an exhibition match to be fair. SD in Prizefighter I'm not even really sure should be considered a proper fight.

Crolla pretty much does just rely on his engine though.

Derbymanc wrote:Course he should Toppy, a loss shouldn't stop anything, you knuckle down and improve. fighting harder opposition to give you tests at certain point in your career.

Don't see the point in padding a record with nobodies in all honesty

Appreciate what you're saying, I just think it's an indicator of his level - and his level isn't world.

Can't be many examples of someone consitently domestic level being able to turn themselves around and really reinvent themselves as a consistent world level fighter.

BoxingFan88 wrote:I think Donaire has a case for this as well, p4p one of the best a few years ago, loses to one of the best ever amateurs and then gets largely forgotten

He was also given a royal walloping by Nicholas Walters and had been dropping off for a while.

Seen the Walters fight. Walters is a beast at feather. Looks very big. Probably walks around near 150.

AdamT wrote:Seen the Walters fight. Walters is a beast at feather. Looks very big. Probably walks around near 150.

Hoping Lomachenko takes him on after the Rigo fight. Epic.