Anthony Crolla vs. Ricky Burns Set For October Card In Manchester
Anthony Crolla and Ricky Burns, both former world champions, will face each other in a couple of months to get back into world title contention.
Crolla and Burns will headline an October 7 card at the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England in a lightweight fight. Promoter Eddie Hearn made the announcement on August 7.
"What a fight between two great warriors," Hearn said. "Both Anthony and Ricky are in similar places in the careers and they know that this absolute must-win. Knowing these two like I do this is going to be a fight until the finishing bell with neither taking a backward step. It's an all-British super fight between two great [former] world champions."
Burns is moving down to lightweight after spending almost a year as the WBA junior welterweight world champion. In a unification fight, Burns lost to Julius Indongo back in April which set up a historic junior welterweight unification bout with unified champion Terence Crawford. Burns is also a former world champion as a super featherweight and lightweight boxer.
Crolla was the WBA lightweight champion, but lost the title to Jorge Linares last year and lost his rematch earlier this year. Crolla is still in the WBA's top 5 rankings at lightweight, but a WBA title match will have to wait for a good while. Linares is defending his title against mandatory challenger Luke Campbell next month.
