Manchester lightweights John Murray and Athony Crolla will meet at the Phones4U Arena on April 19 and the winner will be lined up for a major fight this summer.
“This is the one that I have always wanted,” said Murray. “I hope that in the build-up people concentrate on us and not Joe Gallagher, we’re doing the fighting.
“This is the reason I turned pro, I wanted to be on big bills in Manchester – Anthony and I are friends but we won’t be until after the fight, I want to put on a destructive performance and get back up to World level. I’m training hard and living the life right and I’m hungry for success now. I think this has fight of the year potential, it’s a battle of Manchester and it’s going to be something very special.”
“I went to the MEN Arena when I was younger and dreamt of being in massive fights in there,” said Crolla. “This is the biggest Manchester boxing derby there is and I am so excited to be in it. I was gutted not to box in Glasgow but it’s worked out fantastic, John and I have had lots of great sparring sessions and if they are anything to go by it will be a great fight.”
Crolla and Murray provide the chief support on a great night of action in Manchester, as Bury’s Scott Quigg defends his WBA World Super Bantamweight title against mandatory challenger Nehomar Cermeno.