What can Crolla do?

OK, so I doubt any of us believe that Crolla can beat Loma. I doubt Crolla believes he can.

So what would we consider a good outcome for Crolla this weekend? Can Crolla survive to the end of the fight (Loma is a pressure fighter, but not an out-and-out puncher.. and had a tougher night than expected against Pedraza...)? Can he even nick a few rounds here and there?

And if Crolla gives a decent account of himself, what can he expect next? He probably doesn't have too many fights left. A domestic match-up against Lee Selby or Luke Campbell could be interesting, and I'd fancy Crolla in either of those match-ups. A respectable performance this weekend would certainly to help to sell a high profile domestic match-up.

Although crolla has been in some big fights sadly on this occasion seeing Loma in front of him will be a bit too much. I’d like to see him switch-hitting and using short burst combos only when in the pocket and then staying out of range. Think he fights on emotion sometimes and maybe could try reigning that in. If he can make it to the end and give a decent account then that will raise his profile and he can then bow out with 1-2 big fights. Personally I’d like to see him in with Selby.

I really like Crolla. Follow him on twitter and seems a like a really nice bloke. Unfortunately though that won't do him any good here. I just cannot see any way he can beat him. He is not a big puncher so a lucky punch is even unlikely. He has a decent enough chin and as Smashing said Lomo isn't a huge puncher so he could get to the final bell. If he does and maybe even nick a round or two I think he has done really well.

A bit like Burns in some respects I think he is a decent guy who got every last drop out of his ability however I don't think he has much to offer at world level anymore. Let's hope he can make a decent account of himself and setup some domestic clashes whilst making a few more quid. Campbell would be a great fight and I think one they would both fancy.

Like most, I really appreciate Crolla for his likeability. But he has very few avenues to victory with Loma. Crolla is not a puncher, and doesn't have a better tank than Loma. I also think he is only fringe world level at this point. Loma will stop him inside 9. Maybe Gallagher throws the towel in, maybe ref stops him but it wont go the distance IMO.

As you guys say... he seems like a likeable fellow (can't say that about all boxers!). I wish him all the best... and I have unlimited respect for him after the incident with the burglars, and the way he bounced back after that terrible injury.

Unfortunately I can't really see him staying out of range and fighting on the outside, partly because he's not really that type of fighter, and even if he was, I just don't think Loma would let him. So my hope is that Crolla can at least make it competitive and give Loma something to think about, and come out with his profile raised and his health intact. Going the distance is maybe a bit optimistic, but I do hope he can do it.

Would be great if the Selby fight could be made.. I definitely think he could win, and it would be a fitting swansong (if it were indeed to be his last fight).

Very Very poor fight and the powers that be should never have had Crolla as mandatory.....Bit like past shocking mandatories like Canizales v Navarro...Chavez v Aguilar..Designed to give intensive care workers overtime...Chuck in Hilton v Callaghan..

The best fighter in the World...Who is a hurtful puncher generally and not concussive against a guy that lacks a shot..Is not in the same league in every aspect of the craft and has seen better days anyway...

Wrote a month ago how I couldn't see anything but pain for Crolla and I feel ashamed I watched the highlight show....Not that there were any...

Not interested in how brave he was...That is taken as read with Anthony.

The fight shouldn't have happened...He shouldn't have been mandatory.

Common sense..

Just on the point about Lomachenko's power (or lack thereof), I do think he purposefully takes a lot off his punches. I reckon he absolutely does have that one punch knockout power, he just doesn't use it an awful lot.

Like Trussman said, it was not an enjoyable experience watching that fight and he shouldn't have been there in the first place.

In fairness he got hit on the temple and Lomo broke his hand in the process.

I see your proint Truss but he was mandatory so it is not like they picked him randomly. Yes Crolla has slipped and we all knew was several classed below but I think the issue is Lomo is so good. When an elite P4P No1 gets mandaotories this can happen. Rankings are there for a reason and he was high up, not sure what else could be done? Also it is a good payday for the chalenger.

If Lomo broke his hand that might result in less power in future. He is now 31 years old and it is unlikely to repair back to its original strength. This is all part of the aging, wear and tear process - that will eventually lead him into defeat or retirement at some stage - especially if he continues to rise in the weight classes.

Trussman is right of course. The fact that a loss for crolla was a given, and the best we could dare to hope for was survival into the later rounds, does really suggest that it was the type of mismatch that just shouldn't be made.

Did anyone give Buster-Douglas a chance? Anyone give Honnigan a chance? Recently did anyone give Fury a chance against Klit?

I completely get Truss’s point however if a fighter is ranked highly and earns a mandatory then they can’t be denied it simply because they are a heavy heavy underdog. Whilst we are at it let’s stop feeding bums to Olympic champions when the first turn pro, many don’t even last a round.

Crolla beating Lomo was highly, highly unlikely but stranger things have happened.

Boxing needs to go away with sanctioning body rankings and use the world rankings to determine mandatory challengers.

Crolla, lovely bloke, got outclassed twice by Linares, yet beating a shot Burns and some other nobody got him to the top of the WBA rankings again.

After the Linares fights there was a clear indication that Crolla wasn’t top tier. So how exactly are these stupid rankings determined?

Nathaniel Jacobs wrote:So how exactly are these stupid rankings determined?

I think it's all based upon who's flavour of the month and whose promoter had lunch with the guy that's in charge of the rankings. How else would you explain the WBA rating Fres Oquendo so highly, or the WBC making Breazeale WBC no 1 despite him doing nothing to deserve it. And let's not forget that the WBO once moved a fighter up their rankings despite him having been DEAD for several months. If it makes the WBO feel better, the WBA did this with a different boxer who had also passed away...

It probably doesn't help that the WBA has Super Champions, Champions, Interim Champions, I bought a coffee today Champions and I've only boxed once at school and lost badly Champions. They are, in short, an absolute joke.

To quote Dan Rafael: "Which is worse? The putrid WBA having 41 titleholders in 17 divisions or the fact that it has a dead guy in its rancid rankings?"