At Wednesday's press conference in Manchester, England, Anthony Crolla and Jorge Linares acted like the best of friends.On September 24, however, they will be the best of enemies.The two world champions meet next month to decide who is the best lightweight around right now. Other fighters in the division may disagree with that statement, but The Ring magazine views the unification contest good enough for it to put the vacant title up for grabs.Crollathe WBA titleholderhas the advantage of fighting at home. The local boy will expect to be backed by a vociferous crowd at the Manchester Arena, a familiar stomping ground for him during his rise to fame.Yet Linaresthe WBC's current champion in recess after injury stopped him from making a mandatory defence earlier in the yearis accustomed to spoiling the party.The Venezuelan, a three-weight world champion who is now based in Tokyo, has been to England before. Back in May 2015, he climbed off the canvas to win a brutal war against Londoner Kevin Mitchell.Crolla will hope history isn't repeated.In a hotel barely a goal kick away from Old Trafford, the famous home of Manchester United, the pair came together to talk to the media.Such events can turn nasty, yet Crolla and Linares didn't trade insults. Instead, they shared a handshake beforehand and a plethora of pleasantries during proceedings.Neither man is the trash-talking type. Both dressed to impress and flashed smiles instead of throwing insults. Respectnot empty rhetoricwas the order of the day, and how boxing could do with more of that.They exchanged compliments like a tennis rally between two top seeds. However, the kind words also offered an insight into the past, present and future.Here, with the aid of actual quotes from those involved at the media event, Bleacher Report breaks down an intriguing battle to be the top dog at 135 pounds. "You have to pinch yourself to believe that its true."Eddie Hearn, Crolla's promoter, isn't alone in wondering how the man nicknamed Million Dollar eventually hit the boxing jackpot.Both in and out of the ring, Crollawho has lost four times and drawn three of his 38 pro outingshas had his setbacks.In 2012, he not only surrendered his British title to Derry Mathews but also failed to triumph in a Prizefighter series, losing at the semi-final stage. At that time, it seemed reasonable to suggest he wouldn't move far beyond domestic duties.However, hurdles have merely proved to be steppingstones for the 29-year-old.He missed out on revenge against Mathews when their 2013 rematch ended in a draw. Then, in his first fight with then-WBA champion Darleys Perez, he was on the wrong end of a debatable result.Yet the disappointment of the majority-draw verdict didn't frustrate Crolla.That he was even standing there in the ring at all that night was a reason to be cheerful.In December 2014, Crolla suffered a broken ankle and a fractured skull after being hit with a concrete slab when confronting burglars near his home.The incident happened just as he was preparing to face Richar Abrilwho held the WBA belt at the timein January of the following year.Suddenly, he had to forget about fighting for world titles and instead focus on fighting for his long-term health. It was by no means certain that he would ever step between the ropes again.Not for the first time, Crolla refused to be beaten. He made a rapid recovery and, just eight months later, was back in action.Although he felt the judges denied him the win against Perez, he was still able to crack a smile. Considering where he had been, there was no way he was going to fall short at the final hurdle. "Crolla is a tremendous fighter and a tremendous personhes getting better with every fight."Robert Diazthe matchmaker who negotiated the deal on Linares' behalfmade it clear he understands the threat the home favourite poses to his fighter.When Mathews stopped Crolla in 2012, few would have predicted unification fights in the latter's future. Even after the initial draw with Perez last year, plenty thought he'd missed his chance at a world title.Instead, the 29-year-old took the judges out of the equation in the rematch four months later.The body shot, a left hook, that dethroned the Colombian was a thing of beauty. KO Kings captured the moment on Twitter:Against Ismael Barroso in his first defence, Crolla showed his heart. He dared to stand in the eye of the storm and deal with everything that came at him.Then, once his opponent had blown himself out, Crolla produced another hammer blow to the bodythis time a right handto put the gassed Venezuelan out of his misery.Linares knows now that he cannot afford to leave his ribs exposed.Yet Crolla isn't really about one-punch power. He is a grinder, someone who chips away at you relentlessly, round after round.His superb conditioning allows him to cope with such an exhausting style, and eventually both Perez and Barroso wilted in the face of such pressure.Diaz is rightCrolla is getting better with every fight. You underestimate him at your peril. "Against Linares, hes got to raise it [his game] again."Joe Gallagher, Crolla's trainer, was happy not to have to trash-talk for a change. He actually had many kind words to say about Linares, a fighter he admits to being a huge fan of.His comments were not meant to lure the opponent into a false sense of security either. He knows that while Perez and Barroso were good, the standard of competition has moved up to a new level.Linareswho has a 63 per cent knockout ratio, per BoxReccan do damage from distance or up close. Mitchell's swollen face last year, as pictured below, testifies to that.Don't expect Golden Boy to blow up like Barroso did either, even if he's never actually gone 12 rounds before.If there is one concern about the visiting fighter, it has to be ring rust.He has not fought since October 2015, when he knocked out Ivan Cano in Round 4 of his first fight on home soil in more than five years.Crolla stated how he was "working on bringing something new" to the ring for the big occasion. Tactics will be crucial, and a fast start could be the order of the day.Linares has been caught cold in the past. Two of his three career defeatsagainst Juan Carlos Salgado in 2009 and then Sergio Thompson in 2012came by stoppages inside the first six minutes. "I really do see it as my house."It will take something special for Crolla to top the night Ricky Hatton defeated Kostya Tszyu in Manchester to become a world champion.Crolla, however, has been able to channel his inner Hitman in the past, coaxing big crowds to watch him at the Manchester Arena.He is a local lad who has stayed grounded despite his success. His story is one of hard work and a never-give-up attitude, all done with a smile so dazzling a toothpaste company ought to sponsor him.As for Linares, he is no stranger to having a crowd cheer against him.He won world titles at featherweight and super featherweight on foreign soil and coped admirably in a pressure situation against Mitchell in London last year.Yet both Crolla and Gallagher spoke about how Manchester will be different from the O2 Arena, with the latter adding: "If you thought London was mad, just wait till Manchester on September 24."The locals will be out in full force to cheer on one of their own. Linares insisted he would use headphones to tune them out, but Crolla will feed off the atmosphere from his home crowd.In difficult times, that support could be crucial. "This is a bit of a legacy fight."Crolla was the one to mention the word "legacy," a popular phrase in boxing these days that could mean a number of things.His legacy in Manchester is already secure following the two fights with Perez and the maiden defence against Barroso. They are occasions that will live long in the memory, the type he will be reminded about long after he's hung up his gloves and gone into politics (quite possibly).Crucially, Crolla stated past glories had not extinguished his appetite for further success. The legacy he craves is to be regarded as the best lightweight on the planet.Victory over Linares would be enough for the experts at The Ring magazine. Others, though, may need a little more convincing.The winner on September 24 should, I repeat should, move on to face Dejan Zlaticanin, who took possession of the full WBC strap while Linares was out of action.As for the other belts, Rances Barthelemy holds the IBF's version of the title, and Terry Flanagan is the WBO's champion.Crolla knows all about Flanagan. The two are both from Manchester and even went to the same school.A clash between them would split the city down a footballing divide. While Crolla's allegiances are with the Red Devils, blue is very much the colour for the Manchester City fan Flanagan.Yet Crolla and Linares could leave a lasting legacy without having to look any further than each other. The former suggested he would happily "go to Vegas for a rematch" if their first bout lives up to expectations.It should do too. Two similar-styled fighters will square off with plenty on the line, and all without one cross word uttered at each other in the buildup (so far).They are two proud warriors who believe actions speak louder than words. They'll no doubt be plenty of smiles before and after their showdownjust don't expect there to be any love lost in between. For 12 rounds, they will throw any feelings of respect out the ring. Rob Lancaster is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise stated.
Click here to read full news..
