Jorge Linares retained his WBA Lightweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision over Anthony Crolla in a rematch of their September fight (also won won by Linares) at the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England.

Linares mixed up his body attack and landed some good straight rights.  Linares was spot on with his uppercut over the first half of the fight.  In round six, Crolla was cut over his left eye from a right eye.

In round seven, Linares landed a blistering uppercut that sent Crolla to the canvas.  Crolla showed his champions mettle and heart and made a stand offense over the end of round seven and eight, but that was all he could muster as Linares was the class in this fight as he won by scores of 118-109 on all cards.

Linares is now 42-3.  Crolla is now 31-6-3.

Follow all the action as Jorge Linares and Anthony Crolla fight in a rematch of their terrific fight that took place last September.  The bout, which will be for Linares’ WBA/Ring Magazine Lightweight title will begin at 6 pm ET / 10 PM in Manchester

NO BROWSER REFRESH NEEDED.  THE PAGE WILL UPDATE AUTOMATICALLY

Round 1: Crolla lands a body shot..Right hand..Linares lands a right to the body..Body shot..Right..

Round 2 Body shot from Crolla…Overhand right from Linares..

Round 3 Linares lands a right..uppercut

Round 4 Linares lands a good right..uppercut,,Good right..Left from Crolla..

Round 5 Body shot from Linares..Hard body shot..

Round 6 Uppercut from Linares..Right..Crolla is cut over his left eye..left from Linares..

Round 7 HUGE LEFT UPPERCUT AND DOWN GOES CROLLA…Big combination on the ropes..Right from Crolla

Round 8 Right from Crolla..3 big uppercuts from Linares..Body shots from Crolla..Body shot from Linares..Body and head from Crolla..Uppercut from Linares..

Round 9 Right over the top from Crolla..Hard uppercut from Linares..

Round 10 Combination from Crolla

Round 11 Good uppercut from Linares..Good right

Round 12 Linares boxing and moving

118-109 ON ALL CARDS FOR JORGE LINARES

Anthony Crolla says that he’s done everything he can to make sure he’s in the shape of his life for his rematch with Jorge Linares for the WBA, WBC Diamond and Ring Magazine World Lightweight titles tomorrow night at the Manchester Arena, live on Sky Sports.

The Lightweight stars clash again following their epic battle in September that Linares edged. The Venezuelan star returns to place the straps on the line against the hometown hero, looking for a third win in the UK after defeating Kevin Mitchell in another fight of the year contender.

‘Million Dollar’ Crolla has heeded the advice of trainer Joe Gallagher and locked himself away from friends and family to get in the best shape possible – and the Manchester hero believes that will pay off tomorrow night.

“I feel fantastic,” said Crolla, who scaled 9st 8lbs 8oz, 4oz heavier than the defending champion. “I feel better than I have ever felt. Camp has gone really well and there will certainly be no excuses tonight. I have had no distractions outside of camp and everything is good. It is a matter now of showing in the ring the improvements I have been showing in the gym.

“For fight week I have been living in a hotel, no distractions. I am covering all bases. After this fight I can say I have given everything, not just in training but outside of camp too. I have had no social life for the past few months and I will walk to the ring knowing that, knowing I have prepared in the best way I possibly can. There will be no ‘what if I had done this’, ‘what if I had done that’ – I have prepared the best I possibly can.

“I understand what Joe was saying and I think in the past I have been a bit stupid. I was running around with tickets at the last minute and stressing over things. I have been told it isn’t a good thing to do and I haven’t done that this time.

“It isn’t in any way used as an excuse for last time – I was here, there and everywhere not just with tickets but with lots of other things. That is only my fault – I didn’t want to let people down but I should have been concentrating on other things. This time I am a lot more relaxed and I believe I have prepared better.”

Crolla’s clash with Linares is part of a huge night of action in Manchester where there’s a crossroads battle of Blackpool as Middleweights Brian Rose and Jack Arnfield lock horns.

Martin J. Ward defends his British Super-Featherweight title against Maxi Hughes in their third clash in the paid ranks, Marcus Morrison defends his WBC International Middleweight strap against Jason Welborn, while his Joe Gallagher gym-mate Hosea Burton looks to bounce back into title contention from his epic battle with Frank Buglioni, Irish sensation Katie Taylor fights for the fourth time as a pro, while there’s also action for Tomi Tatham, Ben Sheedy, Nathan Wheatley and Sean McGoldrick.

Tickets are on sale priced at £40, £60, £80, £100 and £150 and available from www.manchesterarena.com or by calling 0844 847 8000. VIPs tickets are exclusively available through www.matchroomboxing.com priced at £250.

Face value tickets for March 25 will also be available from http://www.stubhub.co.uk/matchroom-boxing-tickets/ . StubHub is the official ticket partner and marketplace of Matchroom Boxing and Anthony Joshua.
ENDS

Running order and weights

5.10pm 4 x 3 mins Bantamweight Contest
SEAN McGOLDRICK v BRETT FIDOE
(Newport, Wales) (Evesham)
Followed by
6 x 3 mins Middleweight Contest
BEN SHEEDY v ROB BROWN
(Manchester) (Bulford)
Followed by
8 x 3 mins Light-Heavyweight contest
HOSEA BURTON (13st 3oz) v TAMAS KOZMA (12st 13lbs 3oz)
(Manchester) (Hungary)

FLOAT/SWING 4 x 3 mins Super-Middleweight Contest
NATHAN WHEATLEY v CHRIS JENKINSON
(Warrington) (Bolton)

6/8 x 3 mins Light-Heavyweight Contest
TOMI TATHAM v KAREL HOREJSEK
(Bentham) (Czech Republic)

LIVE FLOAT
4 x 3 mins Cruiserweight Contest
LAWRENCE OKOLIE (14st 5lbs 4oz) v GEOFFREY CAVE (13st 13lbs 1oz)
(Hackney) (Hammersmith)

LIVE 7pm on Sky Sports 1

12 x 3 mins British Super-Featherweight Championship
MARTIN J WARD (9st 3lbs 5oz) v MAXI HUGHES (9st 3lbs 8oz)
(Brentwood) (Rossington)
Followed by
10 x 3 mins WBC International Middleweight Championship
MARCUS MORRISON (11st 5lbs 4oz) v JASON WELBORN (11st 5lbs 3oz)
(Manchester) (Tividale)
Followed by
8 x 2 mins Super-Featherweight contest
KATIE TAYLOR (9st 8lbs 8oz) v MILENA KOLEVA (9st 6lbs 2oz)
(Bray, Ireland) (Sliven, Bulgaria)
Followed by
12 x 3 mins WBA International Middleweight Championship
BRIAN ROSE (11st 5 & 1/2lbs) v JACK ARNFIELD (11st 4lbs 7oz)
(Blackpool) (Blackpool)
Followed by
12 x 3 mins WBA, WBC Diamond & Ring Magazine Lightweight Championship
JORGE LINARES (9st 8lbs 4oz) v ANTHONY CROLLA (9st 8lbs 8oz)
(Venezuela) (Manchester)

Jorge Linares and Anthony Crolla held a final press conference on Thursday in Manchester, England, for their rematch this Saturday for the WBA Lightweight World Championship, live on SHOWTIME (6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT) from Manchester Arena.

Linares (41-3, 27 KOs) dethroned Crolla (31-5-3, 13 KOs) in a close, back-and-forth battle last September in Manchester to capture the WBA crown. The Sept. 24 match was the first time the three-division titlist Linares was pushed the 12-round distance in his nine career world title fights.

Crolla has had success in immediate rematches. In 2015, he challenged Darley Perez for the WBA Lightweight Title and fought to a draw. Four months later, he knocked out Perez in five rounds to win the 135-pound title.

WBC Lightweight World Champion Mikey Garcia will join the SHOWTIME BOXING INTERNATIONAL announce team as a guest analyst alongside host Brian Custer and analysts Al Bernstein and Paulie Malignaggi.

Garcia (36-0, 30 KOs), who won the WBC belt in emphatic fashion this January on SHOWTIME, may be scouting his future opponent – the WBC has mandated that the winner of Linares-Crolla II must face Garcia.

Here’s what the fighters had to say at Thursday’s press conference:

JORGE LINARES:
“I know once again I have everyone against me in his backyard, but that’s why I trained hard.

“I’m not coming in here feeling like the champion. I’m coming in here feeling like the challenger because I know I have to win very clear to go back home with a win.

“It’s going to be a different Crolla this time. I have to perform like I know I can to defend my belts.

“I had a great camp. I’m anxious. I can’t wait to show you on Saturday night, put it all together and return home with my belts.”

ANTHONY CROLLA:

“I’ve always been better going in as the underdog. I know on Saturday night I’m going to need to be the very best Anthony Crolla to beat Jorge Linares. I really believe that if I show the improvements that I’ve made in the gym then I’ll get my belt back.

“I hope he comes in looking for the knockout. If Jorge comes looking for the knockout he breaks away from what he’s best at. And, if he does so, I believe it falls right into my hands.

“I’ve got to be cutting off the ring quicker this time. I’ve got to respond in bunches a little bit more. There are so many obstacles that are going to be put in front of me from Jorge Linares, but I believe I will have an answer for every one of them.

“It was one of the fights of the year last time. I can certainly see us both being even better this time.

“There’s a lot of people out there who think there is no way I can beat Jorge Linares, but I believe on Saturday night I’ll prove an awful lot of people wrong.”

LOS ANGELES (March 22, 2017) Returning to the Manchester Arena for part two of the highly anticipated rematch for the WBA, WBC Diamond and Ring Magazine World Lightweight Championship on Saturday, March 25, both current Champion Jorge “El Niño de Oro” Linares (41-3, 27 KOs) and former champion Anthony “Million Dollar” Crolla (31-5, 15 KOs) have vowed to come back into the ring at full force, ready to take home the belts both fighters claim belong to them. Linares vs. Crolla II will be live from Manchester Arena in Manchester, England and available to U.S. fans on Showtime, beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET/PT.

Here is what the fighters had to say at the conclusion of their training camps:

JORGE “EL NINO DE ORO” LINARES, Current WBA, WBC Diamond and Ring Magazine World Lightweight Champion:

“I feel extremely prepared for this fight. I have been training since January 10 of this year, kicking off my training camp in Okinawa, Japan. I would run 10 miles in the morning, 10 miles in the afternoon, and even did training doing hard labor. I then returned to Las Vegas at the end of January, to keep training for three hard months in the mountains, running a total of 30 miles a day at an altitude of 9,000 miles.

“I have had more than 150 rounds of sparring, and I am honest when I say this is the best training camp I have ever had. I am at 100 percent physically and mentally. I am honestly so happy because we are right where we want to be for this fight, ready to show the world who I am inside the ring.

“Crolla could come better prepared than last time. Maybe he will throw more punches, maybe he will box more, I don’t really know. The most important thing is I hope he has worked really hard and comes in great condition so there are no excuses and no doubts after the fight.

“I really think coming to train with Ismael Salas made the difference. It’s what helped me really establish myself as a professional fighter and to gain more experience. We learn ‘old school’ as Salas always says. It really has worked well for me in the two years I’ve been with him.

“I’m happy to be back here in England again and have another opportunity. I get treated very well, I feel comfortable fighting here. The fans here have a lot of boxing knowledge and they know me well. It’s nice, I feel at home.”

ANTHONY “MILLION DOLLAR” CROLLA, Former WBA, WBC Diamond and Ring Magazine World Lightweight Champion:

“We’re both bringing different game plans to the ring and there’s no doubt that we’ll both leave it all in the ring again, like we did last time. I did everything I could to win last time but I came up short; the right man won but there wasn’t a lot in it. This time I am going to make sure that doesn’t happen. It’s a second chance to win those belts and a second chance to beat a great fighter like Jorge, and I’ve prepared myself physically and mentally to be better than him this time.

“There’s a lot of respect between Jorge and I, there was for the first fight and there will be again. He’s a gentleman, a great fighter and a great guy; but this is business, and I’ve got no problem getting in the ring with him again and going to war.

“I have had no social life for the past few months, and I will walk to the ring knowing that, knowing I have prepared in the best way I possibly can. There will be no ‘what if I had done this’, ‘what if I had done that’ – I have prepared the best I possibly can.

“I feel better than I have ever felt. Camp has gone really well and there will certainly be no excuses. I have had no distractions outside of camp and everything is good. It is a matter now of showing in the ring tonight the improvements I have been showing in the gym.

“The rematch was always top of my list. Linares is at the top of the pile in the lightweight division and if there was a chance of having a rematch, that was always more important to me than any other fight. I want to fight the best and be involved in the big fights and that’s what this is.”

Linares vs. Crolla II is a 12-round lightweight bout for the WBC Diamond, WBA and Ring Magazine Lightweight World Championship on March 25 at the Manchester Arena presented by Matchroom Boxing in association with Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Betfred.

Photos and videos are available to download by clicking here. Credit must be given to Golden Boy Promotions for photos and videos used.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.matchroomboxing.com; follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing, @MatchroomBoxing, @OscarDeLaHoya @JorgeLinares, @ant_crolla; become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing; and follow on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing, @MatchroomBoxing, @OscarDeLaHoya, @jorgelinaresofficial, and @ant_crolla86.

WBA Lightweight World Champion Jorge Linares and former champion Anthony Crolla participated in a public workout at National Football Museum in Manchester, England on Tuesday in preparation for their rematch this Saturday, live on SHOWTIME (6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT) from Manchester Arena.

Linares (41-3, 27 KOs) dethroned Crolla (31-5-3, 13 KOs) in an action-packed battle last September in Manchester to capture the WBA crown. Crolla and Linares were neck-and-neck going into the sixth round until Linares rocked the hometown favorite with a series of shots that galvanized the Venezuelan toward a close 115-114, 115-113 and 117-111 unanimous decision.

The Sept. 24 match was the first time the three-division titlist Linares, who also holds the WBC Diamond and Ring Magazine lightweight belts, was pushed the 12-round distance in his career.

The WBC has mandated that the winner of Linares-Crolla II must face undefeated WBC Lightweight Champion Mikey Garcia, who will join host Brian Custer and analysts Al Bernstein and Paulie Malignaggi in New York for the SHOWTIME BOXING INTERNATIONAL presentation.

Below are fight week quotes from Linares and Crolla:

JORGE LINARES:

“Crolla could come better prepared than last time. Maybe he will throw more punches, maybe he will box more, I don’t really know. The most important thing is I hope he has worked really hard and comes in great condition so there are no excuses and no doubts after the fight.

“I can fight even better this time. Before the first fight I had a broken right hand and I hadn’t fought for a while. That’s always a factor, you know? Inactivity. I haven’t had any issues physically or mentally, so the preparation has been great. We did 129 rounds of sparring and everything has gone well up to this point.

“I know he has been quiet in the build-up, I don’t mind if he hasn’t spoken much lately. Let’s just hope it’s a clean fight like the first one.”

“The plans are in the future to get the biggest fights. Obviously the priority right now is to stay focused on Saturday but then I’ll look towards the big fights like against Mikey Garcia.

“I really think coming to train with Ismael Salas made the difference. It’s what helped me really establish myself as a professional fighter and to gain more experience. We learn ‘old school’ as Salas always says. It really has worked well for me in the two years I’ve been with him.”

“I feel really good because this time we had a lot more time to prepare. We did some of the training camp in Japan and then eight weeks in Las Vegas.

“I’m happy to be back here in England again and have another opportunity. I get treated very well, I feel comfortable fighting here. The fans here have a lot of boxing knowledge and they know me well. It’s nice, I feel at home.”

ANTHONY CROLLA:

“It will be another good fight, that’s for sure. Our styles gel really well and I don’t see how it can’t be another good fight, but this time I see a different winner. The key will be adapting. I might need to adapt a number of times in the fight but it is something I have trained for.

“I learned a lot from that fight. Linares has very good speed, very good ring craft and he used his big fight experience for when to take a rest, when to turn it on for the judges.

“This time I know I need to deal with the flashy combinations better, cut the ring off better and capitalize when he is open for shots.

“He has said he will come with another game plan but so will we. Last time I gave it everything, left it all in the ring, but I came up short. The right man won on the night and now I have a second chance at winning back the belt and beating a great fighter.

“I was disappointed I lost – you should never be happy with losing – but I was satisfied I gave everything on the night. When I watched it again there were things in the fight where I thought, ‘why didn’t I do this, why didn’t I do that’, but that is what I did do in the heat of the battle.

“You see people online saying Linares is a level above and that he outclassed me – he obviously didn’t outclass me because two of the judges only had a point in it. The right man won and now I need to show my improvements and make sure the result is different.

“Last time out in Manchester I lost a close fight but with the improvements I have been making in the gym I believe this time it will be a different result.

“The rematch was always top of my list. Linares is top of the pile in the lightweight division and if there was a chance of having a rematch that was always more important to me than any other fight. I want to fight the best and be involved in the big fights and that’s what this is.

“I want the chance to stake my claim as the best lightweight in the world by going out there and beating him.

“I wasn’t going to turn down a rematch to try and ease myself back into title contention. I want these big fights; these big nights in Manchester are what I thrive on.

“I feel better than I have ever felt. Camp has gone really well and there will certainly be no excuses. I have had no distractions outside of camp and everything is good. It is a matter now of showing in the ring tonight the improvements I have been showing in the gym.

“I have had no social life for the past few months and I will walk to the ring knowing that, knowing I have prepared in the best way I possibly can. There will be no ‘what if I had done this’, ‘what if I had done that’ – I have prepared the best I possibly can.”

NEW YORK (March 20, 2017) – WBC Lightweight World Champion Mikey Garcia will join the SHOWTIME announce team as a guest analyst for the rematch between WBA Lightweight World Champion Jorge Linares and Anthony Crolla on Saturday, March 25 live on SHOWTIME at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT.

Three-division world champion Garcia, (36-0, 30 KOs), will join host Brian Custer and analysts Al Bernstein and Paulie Malignaggi in New York for the SHOWTIME BOXING INTERNATIONAL® presentation of Crolla vs. Linares II, which will air live from Manchester Arena in Manchester, England.

“I’m excited to participate as guest analyst for this rematch,” said Garcia. “These are two of the most competitive boxers in my division. Jorge Linares won the first fight, but Crolla can create a different outcome.

“Linares has good hand speed, timing, reflexes and has power in both hands. Crolla has a good right hand and has shown some solid body work in his recent fights. While Crolla is getting better with each fight, Linares is likely still the better boxer, and should edge him out in a close fight.”

Linares (41-3, 27 KOs) dethroned Crolla (31-5-3, 13 KOs) in a thrilling battle last fall in Manchester to capture the WBA crown. The Sept. 24 match was the first time the three-division titlist Linares, who also holds the WBC Diamond and Ring Magazine lightweight belts, was pushed the 12-round distance in his career.

The WBC has mandated that the winner of Linares-Crolla II must face the hard-hitting Garcia, who knocked out defending champion Dejan Zlaticanin on Jan. 28 on SHOWTIME in just his second fight back following a 30-month layoff.

Linares-Crolla II is the second lightweight world title bout on SHOWTIME in 2017 and an important fight toward potentially unifying the resurgent 135-pound division.

Anthony Crolla says he is flying in his camp for his World Lightweight title unification rematch with Jorge Linares at the Manchester Arena on March 25, live on Sky Sports.

Crolla was told in no uncertain terms by trainer Joe Gallagher that he had to lock himself away as he prepared to meet the Venezuelan for the second time following their tight first encounter in September, where Linares added Crolla’s WBA strap to his WBC Diamond belt and the Ring Magazine crown.

‘Million Dollar’ is looking to reclaim the belt he won in stunning fashion in his Manchester fortress in a rematch with Darleys Perez before KOing Ismael Barroso, and the 30 year old believes that paying heed to Gallagher’s impassioned plea in their press conference to stay focussed on training will pay dividends in a fortnight’s time.

“I understood what Joe meant in the press conference,” said Crolla. “I think in the past I have been a bit stupid and that’s been my fault. I run around with tickets and stress over things, I’ve been told it for years but this time it’s been different and I’m flying in camp. It’s been a load off my shoulders and I am just concentrating on getting my belt back.

“We’re both bringing different game-plans to the ring and there’s no doubt that we’ll both leave it all in the ring again, like we did last time. I did everything I could to win last time but I came up short, the right man won but there wasn’t a lot in it. This time I am going to make sure that doesn’t happen. It’s a second chance to win those belts and a second chance to beat a great fighter like Jorge, and I’ve prepared myself physically and mentally to be better than him this time.

“I was disappointed that I lost, and you should never be satisfied with losing, I was happy that I gave everything on the night but there was things that I did that I was annoyed about and I won’t be making them this time.

“He didn’t outclass me because two of the judges only had one point in it, so we’ve made the adjustments that I need to do to make sure the result is different.”

Crolla’s clash with Linares is part of a huge night of action in Manchester where there’s a crossroads battle of Blackpool as Middleweights Brian Rose and Jack Arnfield lock horns.

Martin J. Ward defends his British Super-Featherweight title against Maxi Hughes in their third clash in the paid ranks, Marcus Morrison defends his WBC International Middleweight strap against Jason Welborn, while his Joe Gallagher gym-mate Hosea Burton looks to bounce back into title contention from his epic battle with Frank Buglioni, Irish sensation Katie Taylor fights for the fourth time as a pro, while there’s also action for Tomi Tatham, Ben Sheedy, Nathan Wheatley and Sean McGoldrick.

Tickets are on sale priced at £40, £60, £80, £100 and £150 and available from www.manchesterarena.com or by calling 0844 847 8000. VIPs tickets are exclusively available through www.matchroomboxing.com priced at £250.

Face value tickets for March 25 will also be available from http://www.stubhub.co.uk/matchroom-boxing-tickets/ . StubHub is the official ticket partner and marketplace of Matchroom Boxing and Anthony Joshua.

ENDS

Katie Taylor’s fourth professional fight will take place on the undercard of Anthony Crolla’s World Lightweight title unification rematch with Jorge Linares at the Manchester Arena on Saturday March 25, live on Sky Sports.

Taylor made it three fights unbeaten in the paid ranks on Saturday night at The O2 with her second stoppage win after clinically dispatching Italian fifth round Monica Gentili on the undercard of Tony Bellew’s rollercoaster win over David Haye.

The Irish amateur sensation has already boxed in Manchester having gone the distance with Vivienne Obenauf there in December, and Taylor is ready to put on another scintillating display as the 30 year old gets into her groove as a pro.

“The Linares Crolla fight rematch is a brilliant fight and another massive event. It was a great atmosphere at The O2, but every fight is a big one. You can’t afford to slip up in the pro game so every fight is like an Olympic final.

“Saturday was the first time as a pro that I had a proper camp, I got great sparring in America with seasoned pros every day so I am learning all the time and I feel more than ever that the pro game is made for me. The body work was good and overall it was a very effective performance and getting a stoppage over a durable girl like that was the icing on the cake.

“It was great to get another stoppage win, it’s all gone well so far and the opponents are going to step up now as we kick on this year for a World title.”

Taylor’s fourth pro fight is part of a huge night of action in Manchester, topped by Linares and Crolla going toe-to-toe for the second time.

There’s a crossroads battle of Blackpool as Middleweights Brian Rose and Jack Arnfield lock horns and Martin J. Ward defends his British Super-Featherweight title against Maxi Hughes in their third clash in the paid ranks.

Marcus Morrison defends his WBC International Middleweight strap against Jason Welborn, while his Joe Gallagher gym-mate Hosea Burton looks to bounce back into title contention from his epic battle with Frank Buglioni, while there’s also action for Tomi Tatham, Ben Sheedy, Nathan Wheatley and Sean McGoldrick.

Tickets are on sale priced at £40, £60, £80, £100 and £150 and available from www.manchesterarena.com or by calling 0844 847 8000. VIPs tickets are exclusively available through www.matchroomboxing.com priced at £250.

Face value tickets for March 25 will also be available from http://www.stubhub.co.uk/matchroom-boxing-tickets/ . StubHub is the official ticket partner and marketplace of Matchroom Boxing and Anthony Joshua.

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND (Jan. 24, 2017) – WBA Lightweight World Champion Jorge Linares and former titlist Anthony Crolla held a press conference on Tuesday in Manchester, England, to formally announce their upcoming rematch on Saturday, March 25 live on SHOWTIME from Manchester Arena.

Linares (41-3, 27 KOs) narrowly outpointed defending champion Crolla (31-5-3, 13 KOs) last September in a thrilling battle in Crolla’s hometown of Manchester.

The WBC has mandated that the winner of Linares-Crolla II must face the winner of this Saturday’s SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING matchup between WBC Lightweight World Champion Dejan Zlaticanin and undefeated two-division titlist Mikey Garcia.

Here’s what the fighters had to say on Tuesday:

JORGE LINARES:
“I wasn’t supposed to win the first fight, but I’m glad I did so I can come back and do it again.

“The belts mean so much to me and my country, and I am going to work very hard to make sure that I take them home again.

“It’s a new year and a new day. Anthony is going to be better and hungrier, and that means I will work harder, come with more skill and an even better game plan to win.

“I hope to see another huge crowd in Manchester and we’re going to provide the fans with another beautiful fight.”

ANTHONY CROLLA:
“I want the belt back, simple. Fighting for these prizes in front of us is huge. I’m so lucky to have a second chance and it’s one I have to take.

“It was a special night last time, great crowd and it’ll be even bigger this time. The setting was perfect but I lost my belt. I lost to a great fighter but I don’t celebrate losing, I don’t want to feel it again and I want to go down in history by beating a great fighter.

“I am better in rematches and I’m locking myself away to work harder and smarter to make sure these belts stay here.

“Jorge is the best and I want to be the best – beating him stakes my claim. I didn’t win the first one but I had success and I can work on that.

“We’ve both got great teams behind us, and I believe if I make the right changes for the fight I will take the titles.”

EDDIE HEARN:
“The first fight was a hell of a fight. Anthony was the favorite and now Jorge is the favorite.

“Anthony is the challenger in this rematch. He’s had success in rematches before – he did it against Darleys Perez and he came back better. He needs to do that again against Jorge, No. 1 in the division.

“It gives me huge pleasure to announce that the fight will be on SHOWTIME in the U.S. and I want to thank Stephen Espinosa and his team for making this happen.”

JOE GALLAGHER:
“I need a nasty Anthony Crolla for this fight. Jorge is the best in the world so I need to keep him locked away and getting nasty – he won’t be doing any fan signings or selling tickets. If you like Anthony and care about him, leave him alone, let him work, and come and watch him win on the night.”

ROBERT DIAZ:
“I didn’t know how Jorge was going to react to the fans as I know that Anthony has great fans. I think that Jorge won a lot of fans that night and he’ll have his share in the rematch.

“Anthony didn’t have to take the fight, he could’ve gone elsewhere and got some wins, but that shows what a man this guy is. He wants the belts and we expect a better Anthony. I said you would see the best Jorge ever and you did – he’s going to be even better this time.”