Sport

Battle of the Brits: Anthony Crolla to fight Ricky Burns in Manchester

Local lad Anthony Crolla will face Ricky Burns in a lightweight contest at the Manchester Arena in a bullish battle of the Brits in October.

Crolla lost his WBA lightweight title to Jorge Linares in September 2016, and was then beaten again in a rematch that took place in March.

In a mirror result, Burns too saw his WBA super-lightweight title disappear into thin air after being beaten on points to Julius Indongo in April.

Both men fought well but were ultimately outclassed in their last fights, and while the winner will keep the hopes of another major title fight alive, the loser will be left with a lot of head-scratching and doubts over their future.

Burns edges Crolla slightly on sheer number of contests, with 48 to 40, as well as total number of wins and wins percentage.

As a Mancunian facing off against a Scot, Crolla will believe he has home advantage though.

The fight is set for October 7 and will be broadcasted live on Sky Sports.

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