Mikey Garcia willing to fight in UK against Crolla

BoxingNews24.com

By Scott Gilfoid: If Anthony Crolla (31-5-3, 13 KOs) emerges as the winner of his rematch against WBA World lightweight champion Jorge Linares (41-3, 27 KOs) on March 25, then WBC lightweight champion Mikey Garcia (36-0, 30 KO) says he’s willing to go over to the UK and fight Crolla in a unification match.

Mikey doesn’t care that he would be the visiting fighter. He’s still willing to take the fight with the 30-year-old Crolla in the UK. However, Mikey has a realistic outlook on whether he’ll actually get a chance at fighting Crolla.

Mikey thinks that he would more likely need to get in line if he wants to fight Crolla, because a third fight between Crolla and Linares would be one that would almost surely take place. It’s not only that.

Crolla’s promoter Eddie Hearn might not be eager to put him in with a dangerous puncher like Mikey Garcia. We’re seeing Hearn make all kinds of excuses for why one of his other fighters IBF welterweight champion Kell Brook shouldn’t fight his mandatory challenger Errol Spence Jr. I wouldn’t be surprised if Hearn drags his feet even worse with Crolla vs. Mikey Garcia fight.

I would hope that Hearn doesn’t use the same excuses as he’s using for the Brook-Spence fight by saying that it’s too hard for Crolla to make weight, and how it depletes him in getting down to the limit for the division. Moreover, I would hate it if Hearn says that the risk involved with Crolla fighting Mikey isn’t worth the reward, which is what Hearn has saying about the Brook-Spence fight.

“I know if Crolla wins, I’ll probably have to wait in line so they can have a third match,” said Mikey to skysports.com.” I would like to fight Terry Flanagan for the WBO title and unify the titles with his, but I know he’s also got something lined up. I would love the opportunity to get over there.”

I hate to say it but the only way I see Mikey getting a fight against the winner of the Linares-Crolla 2 fight is if Linares wins that fight. If Crolla wins, no way do I see Mikey ever getting a crack at him. I don’t see Crolla fighting Mikey in this lifetime. I don’t see Hearn letting Crolla come within 3,000 miles of a dangerous puncher like Mikey Garcia.

The way that Mikey knocked out the talented former WBC champion Dejan Zlaticanin recently, I think that knockout probably ruined any chances of Mikey ever getting a crack at Crolla. Mikey knocked Zlaticanin out in the 3rd round. It was such a brutal knockout that Zlaticanin was out cold on the canvas. That just as easily could be Crolla if he ever shares the ring with Mikey. I mean, I rate Zlaticanin as being a better fighter than Crolla. The fact that Mikey could do that to Zlaticanin and make it look so effortless, I think that will likely scare Hearn off.

Mikey’s chances of fighting WBO lightweight champion Terry Flanagan are probably no better than his chances of fighting Crolla. I can’t see Flanagan fighting a terror like Mikey. Besides, Flanagan is going to have to defend his WBO title against Felix Verdejo soon, and I see him losing that fight by a knockout. There’s no point in taking Flanagan-Garcia, because Verdejo is going to be the show stopper from keeping that fight from happening. Verdejo is promoted by Top Rank, and I can’t see them letting Mikey get a chance at fighting Verdejo. I don’t see that fight ever happening. They might be inclined to let Mikey fight Terence Crawford, but I doubt it.